


Only In Your Blood

by bennettmp339



Series: Of tattoos and fedoras [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, White Collar
Genre: (don't hate - i actually like rose wines), (drug has sex-pollen side-effect), (they just have a reputation), Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blow Jobs, Bucky's Metal Arm, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Captain America Steve Rogers, Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, Coffee, Condoms, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Dildos, Dreams and Nightmares, Drugged Character, Dubious Consent, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Fury swears like a sailor, Gulf War 1, HYDRA artifacts, Hydra are dicks, Lube, M/M, Medical Procedures, Minor Character Death, Modern Bucky Barnes, Multi, NYPD!Steve, Neal broods, Nightmares, Non-Canonical Character Death, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Non-consensual Medical Procedures, Piercings, Polyamory, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Avengers (2012), Sex Toys, Steve dreams, Switch Bucky Barnes, Threesome - M/M/M, Tissue Warning, Torture, Veteran!Bucky, Vibrators, White Collar Spoilers, and everyone will be happy, character injury, fort deadlock sounds like the perfect SHIELD prison, fyi - steve does not choose his words wisely and fails to communicate his emotions, i promise that some of steve's brooding will be worked out, morning after fluff, not mcu-canon compliant, not white collar canon-compliant, past Elizabeth Burke/Peter Burke/Neal Caffrey - Freeform, past Threesome - F/M/M, potential body horror, potential body horror involving piercings, safe sex, steve broods, steve you moron, switch neal caffrey, switch steve rogers, tattoo artist!Bucky, tattooed!bucky, tattooed!steve, the angst is heavy in this one, vibrating dildo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-07-17 23:13:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 36,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16105772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bennettmp339/pseuds/bennettmp339
Summary: Peter Burke’s White Collar FBI Task Force has a vital piece of information, though they don’t know what they have. Steve Rogers, a detective with the NYPD who looks strikingly familiar, has more than half. Bucky and the Howlies hold another piece. Can they all work together with Nick Fury and Tony Stark to figure out what HYDRA is up to before it’s too late?Features art by MxAether in "Chapter 10: tentatively willing to call a relationship".





	1. Prologue: Steve

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the 2018 Captain America Big Bang Challenge. It is completed, and chapters will be posted until my final posting date (02 November 2018).
> 
> Thanks to my various betas (deepspaceprincess (who let me bounce far, far too many ideas and thoughts off of them), tolkhien, the-genderman (who was willing to do a last minute SPaG beta), mariknickerbocker (who offered to give the fic a once-over)), everyone who let me bounce ideas off of them or otherwise helped me when I thought I'd written myself into a corner, and especially to the Captain America Big Bang Slack Chat, who offered help and support during this bang. 
> 
> **_Please feel free to ask for clarification about any of the tags_**.
> 
>  **Please be advised that "Only In Your Blood" spoils the first three seasons of White Collar**.

_Steve Rogers: I can try and force it down._  
_Peggy Carter: I'll-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do._  
_Steve Rogers: There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water._  
_Peggy Carter: Please don't do this. W-we have time. We can work it out._  
_Steve Rogers: Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice._  
_Steve Rogers: Peggy..._  
_Peggy Carter: I'm here._  
_Steve Rogers: I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance._  
_Peggy Carter: All right. A week next Saturday at The Stork Club._  
_Steve Rogers: You've got it._  
_Peggy Carter: Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?_  
_Steve Rogers: You know, I still don't know how to dance._  
_Peggy Carter: I'll show you how. Just be there._  
_Steve Rogers: We'll have the band play something slow._  
_Steve Rogers: I'd hate to step on your..._ [static]  
_Peggy Carter: Steve? Steve? Steve?_

 

Steve was caught in the grip of a nightmare. One he had all the time. The nightmare where he didn’t give Howard his coordinates and instead went down with the ship, never to be found. He could hear Peggy crying in his nightmare, knowing they would never see each other again. He could hear Howard on the line, begging for his coordinates.

Those nightmares were the worst because he knew that, in a different set of circumstances, he could have done exactly what he did, going down with the ship as a heroic sacrifice, leaving his best girl crying. Which he did, he must admit. He did go down with the _Valkyrie_ , and he did leave Peggy crying. But he didn’t go down without a fight – he gave Howard his coordinates, and hoped that he’d be found.

Howard found him a few years later, frozen through, and had brought him back to New York for a proper burial, next to his parents. And Steve woke up. Or started to. Howard had no idea how to defrost a supersoldier frozen by the Arctic Ocean, and tried various hypothermia remedies, none of which helped Steve. Steve remembered every painful, excruciating second of his defrost, as his fingers and toes defrosted, but the rest of him remained frozen.

Howard kept his retrieval and successful defrosting a secret from everyone but Maria, Jarvis, and Peggy. No one else was to know who he was. He was hidden from anyone who came to see the Starks - the Stark mansion started to feel like Grand Central during the second month - and was eventually moved to another house, this one owned outright by Maria’s family. It took only a total of six weeks for Steve to go stir crazy and start looking for trouble. That was when Peggy had an idea.

Despite everything Steve had tried, HYDRA was still out there. Down a few heads, but still out there. Howard was concerned that HYDRA was going to try to infiltrate the SSR, and was worried about what would happen if they did. Steve’s job was to check the credentials of any scientist who wanted to jump ship to the SSR, and confirm that they weren’t HYDRA operatives. It was difficult, since some of them were easier to spot than others, which made Steve, Stark, and Peggy worried that there were numerous HYDRA operatives who had managed to pass the various background checks. Steve knew there were operatives who hadn’t been caught, and with Stark’s help, he put out small traps to entice them. They only caught a few, but each capture was one more HYDRA operative not in the SSR.

Over the course of the next 60 years, Steve took various identities and random jobs, hiding the fact that he didn’t seem to age, watching as Howard and Peggy did. He was involved in all parts of Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division as it branched away from the SSR. Steve was an elementary school art teacher, a furniture restorer, and a professional house painter. Everything he did was designed either to destroy HYDRA or to track down a missing Nazi submarine, one rumored to contain a HYDRA artifact. Then, in 2007, a dark-haired man in a slick suit rappelled down the Italian Consulate carrying an amber music box rumored to hold the location of a HYDRA artifact, and Steve’s life changed.

Steve took out the last identity Peggy and Howard had created for him, and walked into NYPD headquarters as Detective Steven Grant Rogers, born 04 July, 1976, in Brooklyn. Howard had set everything up before his death, and Peggy had ensured that all of Steve’s identities would hold up under scrutiny, even after her or Howard’s death. Steve suspected that Nick Fury, Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division ( _could they not see the obvious acronym?_ ) and a close friend of Peggy, had something to do with his identities working. Regardless, all Steve had to do was to give his passport to the NYPD, and his identity would activate when they scanned it.

It took a few days for Steve’s story to be fully accepted, but it was and he was quickly put on cases that allowed him to use his expertise - someone was fencing Krugerrands. Steve’s position also allowed him to track the Nazi submarine in his spare time.

A year later, despite his best efforts, Steve was too late. The submarine exploded, taking all of the contents with it. Or so Steve, the NYPD, and the FBI thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Steve activates his ID and joins the NYPD after the events of "Out of the Box" (in 2007); the submarine explodes a year later in "Under the Radar" (in 2008).


	2. Prologue: Neal

It was odd. It was still odd. Hell, it would probably always be odd. Neal had spent so much of his life running from or working for the FBI, or in prison, that it was still odd to be free. Neal wasn’t sure how Peter had managed to pull strings at his commutation hearing – he knew that Agent Kramer had been gunning to get him reassigned to DC, to the point of trying to sabotage his hearing by bringing up the coded letters to Kate and threatening Peter. Perhaps Hughes had exerted his influence. Or perhaps fate had intervened. Or… Or, more likely, the lack of customers was making Neal a bit maudlin. 

Despite an exemplary case record with the Bureau, Neal was still an ex-con, and a felon at that. This meant that he had few options once he was on the straight and narrow, because not many places would hire someone like him. At least since June was happy to let him live in her spare room, he didn’t have to worry about making his rent. 

After travelling a bit, Neal had decided that he wanted to settle down, at least for a while. He could travel later, and it would be more fun when he didn’t have to look out for every police officer. Without Peter to protect him, it would be harder to get out of trouble for anything that he’d “allegedly” done before Peter had arrested him the first time. 

It took Neal longer than his friend and confidant Mozzie thought it should have taken for him to decide to run the front of The Greatest Cake. Neal had never sold the bakery, and had left it alone for most part. He had stopped by occasionally, making sure that everything was running smoothly and the cakes were still as good as advertised, but it was more of an amusing reminder of his life with Peter and the FBI. Once he was no longer working for the FBI, the bakery became Neal’s primary source of income. And a legitimate one at that. 

The Greatest Cake quickly became one of the places Elizabeth used when she needed cakes and pastries. It became the place Stark Industries ordered from when the mercurial CEO wanted cake, and FBI agents and NYPD officers stopped by regularly, on their way to or from the courthouse. However, there was one particular NYPD detective who made an impression on Neal. 

Steve Rogers seemed a little young to be a police detective, but he was good at his job. He specialized in art crimes and related cases that Peter’s White Collar division would have taken on. Occasionally, Steve would come to Neal and ask him questions about a recent crime or art heist, and recording it as coming from a Confidential Informant or CI. Given that Steve worked for the NYPD, Neal was well aware that Steve knew who he was and what he had done, but he also knew that Steve wasn’t judging him based on his past. It was unsurprising that they fell into bed together. 

One day, Steve showed Neal a pin that he said that NYPD had recovered from a murder scene, and asked if he’d ever seen anything like it. Neal’s blood ran cold, though he lied to Steve and told him that it didn’t look familiar. Steve gave him a suspicious look, and asked Neal to let him know if he saw it again, as it was the symbol of a dangerous organization. Steve was vague about the organization, but impressed upon Neal just how dangerous they were. Neal nodded noncommittally, and made no promises, though he wondered how long it would take for the life that he’d built for himself to come crashing down. 

As soon as the bakery closed for the night, Neal went to the storage facility where Mozzie was storing the U-boat treasure, and went straight to the wooden box he’d seen when doing inventory. It was a plain wooden box, and the only interesting thing about it was that it would not open. That and the weird looking octopus with a human skull engraved on the lid. A symbol that Neal now knew meant HYDRA.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Neal’s intro takes place in 2011, 3 years after Steve’s intro, and 2 years after "Judgement Day" (in 2009).


	3. Chapter 1: Bucky

Bucky had met Steve for the first time at The Greatest Cake. The place may sound pretentious, but the cake really was amazing. He’d been buying breakfast for the Howlies as a treat after a particularly bad week. He’d learned later that Steve was hoping to question Neal on some antique silver that had turned up at a pawn shop. They’d started talking, and he had invited Steve out to dinner that evening. 

In the end, Steve didn’t have the chance to question Neal, but Bucky had made a friend for life. A few months later, they were dating, and a little while later, they were moving in together in the apartment over Bucky's tattoo parlor. A year later and they were still together, Bucky’s art working its way up Steve’s arm. 

Bucky was Brooklyn born and bred. He’d joined the army right out of high school for the GI Bill, and a year later Iraq invaded Kuwait and he was shipped overseas to Iraq. That’s where he met the current members of the Special Operations team code-named the Howling Commandos, which was never officially disbanded at the end of World War II. Like all good Special Operations teams, the members were classified during their service, and the team was always referred to as either the Howling Commandos or the Howlies. 

The Howlies were a jointly commanded special forces team, comprised of the Americans James “Bucky” Barnes, Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan, Gabe Jones, Jim Morita, the British Montgomery “Monty” Falsworth, and the French Jacques Dernier. They were led by Captain Gilmore Hodge, from the United States Army. Bucky was the youngest member of the team, the only member of the Howling Commandos not to have had any previous combat experience. 

Hodge wasn’t supposed to be the leader of the Howlies, but he was in the right place at the right time and was a decent leader. He was a career soldier who joined the Army shortly after graduating from high school, just after the May 1978 Shaba II (sometime called the War in Zaire). He served in the US Invasion of Grenada in 1983, during the Lebanese Civil War, and the US Invasion of Panama, working his way up to Captain by the time Kuwait was invaded. Bucky would never forget his introduction to Hodge, before he joined the Howlies. 

A blond woman in a British Army uniform had been running drills they day they met. Bucky’s CO, Colonel Phillips, had been watching with his usual grumpy expression. In a scene that was (or so Bucky learned later) directly out of their family history, Hodge had made a derogatory comment about the British Army, and Carter had decked him. That tradition supposedly went back even farther than WWII: a Hodge mouths off to a Carter and she decks him. 

It was always odd, to think of Hodge in the past tense. The only member of the Howlies to die in the line of duty was their commander, who died rescuing them from what they later learned was HYDRA, who were (somehow) still around, as if Captain America’s heroic sacrifice had been for nothing. 

The current Howlies knew just how similar they were to the famed Howlies from WWII. While there was almost always a Special Operations unit referred to as the Howlies, this team was the first to have the same names as the famed unit. They may have had a different commander, but this time around there was a Lieutenant Colonel Carter and a Colonel Phillips in charge of their special unit. Colonel Carter might have been SSR Agent Peggy Carter’s grand-niece Sharon Carter, and Colonel Raymond Phillips may have had no relation to the famous SSR Colonel Chester Phillips, but thinking back, Bucky just had to wonder. Then he learned that HYDRA wasn’t as dead as it was supposed to be. And then Captain America returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky’s backstory is not running concurrently with Steve’s or Neal’s; their backstories sync up in 2009, when Bucky meets Steve at Neal's bakery.


	4. Chapter 2: I’m getting her one of your frou-frou cakes

A few days after Steve impressed upon Neal the dangers of the organization he’d called HYDRA, Steve was asked to look at the rubbing Neal had taken from the box. Though he was vague about where he’d found it, Steve asked many questions about the provenance. 

“So, I asked around,” Neal said. “Wanted to know if anyone had seen anything like that pin you showed me. One of my contacts thinks they know where some stuff with that logo on it may be hidden.” 

“What kind of stuff?” Steve asked, running his fingers along the side of his bearded jaw, a nervous tick he hadn’t been able to break himself of. He wasn’t looking for dinner plates, after all. 

“They aren’t sure - it’s in crates, but he swore the crates had this logo on it. He took a rubbing to be sure.” Neal handed the paper over to Steve, who studied it carefully. 

“Can you tell me a little more about this HYDRA?” Neal asked Steve after a few moments, hands busy putting pastries in the display.

“We don’t know much, unfortunately,” Steve started, sighing. “They seem to be relatively new on the scene, but they’re leaving bodies left and right. And it looks like they’re at least partially trying to blame the Italian Mob for some of it. I’m worried about it becoming a mob war.” He ran his fingers against his bearded jaw.

Neal nodded, and asked if he had any leads. As he shook his head, Steve wondered if Neal knew that he was lying through his teeth about HYDRA. 

“None at the moment; that pin I showed you was the first solid piece of evidence that they’re currently active in New York.” Steve paused, still studying the rubbing. “If I promised I wouldn’t go after your friend for stealing the crates, would they be willing to let me take a look at the contents?”

Neal shrugged. “I’ll have to ask.”

“Thank you,” Steve said, sincerely. Neal studied him for a few moments, before the bell over the door rang as it opened. 

“Neal!” Elizabeth called out as she and Peter entered the bakery, rushing over to hug him. Neal let her through the staff entrance, kissing her cheek as she headed into the kitchens to collect her catering order, and let Peter hug him as he stepped into the customer space. 

“Peter. I know why Elizabeth’s here, but what about you?” Neal asked. 

“I have to be in court at eleven. El said she had to collect her catering order, and, as you know, the bakery is right next to the courthouse.” Peter settled down on a stool at the bakery counter, and Neal sat next to him. “I’m presenting evidence against a catburglar. Luckily for me, Neal Caffrey this one is not. So he’s unlikely to leap out of the window and onto the awning.”

Steve, who had gone back to his coffee, almost choked. “You did what?”

“Out of a judge’s chambers, no less.” Neal nodded as Peter was speaking. “He was arrested for a crime he was innocent of. Instead of attempting to fight the charges, he decided it was better to leap out of a judge’s chambers onto that very awning over this bakery, which he’d just bought, and go on the lam.”

“We solved that case, Peter, and it helped lead to a dirty FBI agent losing his badge,” Neal reminded Peter. He seemed unaware that he was leaning on Peter slightly as he spoke. 

“Dirty FBI agent? You with the Bureau?” Steve asked. Peter looked around Neal.

“Peter Burke, with the Bureau’s White Collar Task Force.” He bumped Neal’s shoulder as he shook Steve’s hand. “Only person to catch Neal Caffrey.”

“Twice, hon,” El corrected as she came out from the kitchen carrying several bakery boxes. “Elizabeth Burke, Burke Premiere Events. I’m an event planner.”

“Steve Rogers, NYPD,” Steve said. He shook their hands and watched carefully for a reaction. 

“Steve Rogers? Like Captain America?” Peter asked, glancing at Neal. 

“I’ve been told that before; I was even born on July 4th.” At their incredulous expressions, Steve pulled his license of out of wallet and handed it over. Peter didn’t even glance at it before he handed it to Neal, who studied carefully. Neal leaned against Peter as he held the ID up to the light. 

“If it’s a forgery, it’s the best I’ve ever seen, Peter,” Neal said as he handed it back to Steve, who didn’t miss the interaction between Peter and Neal. 

“Steve Rogers, NYPD,” El said, clearly thinking about something. “Aren’t you the one who's been investigating the art fraud and antique silver?” She asked, handing the bakery box to Peter. The bell over the door chimed before Steve could answer, leading Neal to stand and head back behind the counter, with clear reluctance. 

“What can I get for you?” he asked the tall black man in a hoodie and a ballcap. If it wasn’t for the eyepatch, he would have been indistinguishable from any other New Yorker. Steve immediately pocketed Neal’s sketch and attempted to disappear into his jacket. He tilted his head down and appeared enthralled in his phone. 

“I’ve heard you have some of the best cake in New York. I’m looking for a chocolate cake for the wife’s birthday.” The man glanced around the bakery, like he was looking for something. “She loves these cakes you make, man. Says she had some at an event and wants one for her birthday. I’m a smart man, so I’m getting her one of your frou-frou cakes. Preferably one with more chocolate than the entire Hershey’s factory makes for Hallowe’en.” 

“I’m glad to hear she likes them,” Neal said with a smile, “Does she remember what event she was at? I can see if I can have the cake replicated for her birthday, but with extra chocolate.”

The man looked at Neal, considering. “Some event for arts and artists at the Channing,” he shrugged, and extended his hand, “Nick Fury.” 

“Neal Caffrey.” Neal shook his hand, saying “how about you give me some details such as color, flavor, and when you need the cake by, and I can get your order started.”

Steve took advantage of Fury’s distraction to quickly leave the bakery, only the bell over the door marking his exit. For such a large man, he could be very quiet when the time called for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place within a week of Steve revealing the existence of HYDRA to Neal, in 2011.


	5. Chapter 3: it appeared to have been firebombed at some point

Life for Bucky wasn’t exactly a cakewalk once he returned to the States. The Howlies had been captured, tortured, and experimented on by HYDRA, though Bucky suffered the worst injury during their captivity. Gilmore Hodge, his commanding officer, a man he had grown to respect, had bled out in his arms on the rescue copter back to the forward operating base run by the Americans. It was only after they’d gotten to the base that his pararescue-jumper had realized what had happened to Bucky. He was bleeding badly, and required immediate emergency surgery. Despite the surgeons trying their best, the trauma was severe enough that his left arm had to be amputated above the elbow. He was then sent to Landstuhl, Germany, where he underwent more surgeries. During those surgeries, he was offered a chance to be one of the first testers of a Stark Industries prototype prosthetic. 

After talking with the lead surgeon, who was flown to Germany on Stark’s dime, Bucky signed the paperwork and was transferred to New York and into the care of Drs. Carlyle Smythe and Quinn Johnson, who were the orthopedic surgeons and trauma rehabilitation specialists working with Stark on the prototype prosthetic. 

At the same time that Bucky was signing himself up as a Stark Industries guinea pig, the rest of the Howlies were filling out the paperwork for their own medical discharges. While Bucky had been the most injured of the Howlies, they had all been captured and tortured, and were quickly diagnosed with PTSD on top of their other assorted injuries. Dum Dum had a broken ankle that he’d gotten during the rescue. Gabe had 6 broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. Jim had a broken right collarbone and scapula. Monty had a four broken bones in his left foot, and Dernier had a moderate concussion.

They’d talked to each other during their downtime and made a plan. It was a stupid plan, one that depended on them not dying in the dusty desert of Iraq. It was rather simple: they wanted to open a tattoo parlor, and they would open it in the city where the first Howlie to be medically discharged wanted to live. It could be anywhere from San Francisco to New York to London to Paris, but they’d go there and use their savings and a VA Small Business Loan to find an apartment, the parlor, and to get the proper licenses and training. Military veterans would get a discount, as would people looking to cover up scars. 

The Howlies, minus Bucky, found a place in Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn. They’d looked at dozens of places, their real estate broker despairing of ever finding them a parlor by that point. They’d wanted a parlor with an apartment above it, which was complicating matters. They’d wanted to stay together as much as possible, with Bucky undergoing physical therapy and another long surgery, where Drs. Smythe and Johnson, and _Tony fucking Stark_ , had attached the Stark prototype prosthetic. Drs. Smythe, Johnson, and Banner then re-attached nerves. The prototype was designed to be the first in a new line of prosthetics, ones that would hopefully (eventually) have the same abilities as non-prosthetics. Dr. Smyth thought that Bucky was a perfect test subject. 

While Bucky was recovering at the rehabilitation center under the watchful eye of Dr. Johnson, the Howlies had gone looking for a place. The aforementioned apartment over the parlor had to be large enough that they’d be able to stay there together, at least until Bucky got his feet under him. 

The shop they’d found was in bad shape - it appeared to have been firebombed at some point - but it came cheap and with an obscenely large (4 bedroom!) apartment that took up the entire second floor. They’d bought it, and then got to work making the apartment habitable by New York City standards, getting it inspected in record time, before Bucky got released from the rehabilitation and physical therapy clinic. Once the apartment was habitable and Bucky had recovered enough, they started their training, determined to get their shop opened as soon as they could. 

By the time they opened 107 Tattoos, each of them had a talent, something they’d discovered was the thing they did best during their training. Dum Dum did the best linework and black and gray tattoos, shading between the two colors with a carefulness most people wouldn’t expect from a boisterous man in a bowler hat. Gabe specialized watercolors and bright colors, and was the go-to tattooist for their clients of color. Jim Morita was the piercer of the group, though he didn’t like doing genital piercings. Monty could do it all, was their walk-in artist and genital piercer, though he often worked the front, and handled the books. Dernier specialized in temporary tattoos, was the best at airbrushing, was quite good with henna, and was experimenting on other forms of temporary tattoos. Bucky, though, Bucky specialized in scars. If you wanted a scar covered, you came to Bucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky’s backstory is not running concurrently with Steve’s or Neal’s; their backstories sync up in 2009, when Bucky meets Steve at Neal's bakery.
> 
> Drs. Smythe and Johnson are OCs. They are orthopaedic surgeons based out of Belfast who do high profile work on celebrities and athletes, and use those fees to pay for pro bono work. Dr. Smythe is known to be willing to fly out to active war zones; he pays his own way


	6. Chapter 4: Stark Tower, two hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Potential body horror - the previously mentioned pin (with the HYDRA logo) is revealed to be a piercing. Please see the end notes for more information.

The day after Nick Fury walked into The Greatest Cake, the body of disgraced former FBI agent Garrett Fowler was found in an alley. According to Steve’s very private notes, the ones he left only in Stark Tower where they could be protected by JARVIS, Garrett Fowler had been working for HYDRA, though not entirely willingly, as he was believed to have been being blackmailed by former hedge fund CEO Vincent Adler. Adler had resurfaced in 2008, several years after fleeing to Argentina with the money he’d stolen from his investors. Adler had wanted to use the fractal antenna contained within the famed music box to find a sunken German U-Boat, having been tasked by HYDRA to recover their missing artifact. It was unclear why he had chosen to blackmail Fowler, though the combination of Fowler’s good standing in the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and his dislike of Agent Peter Burke was probably near the top of Adler’s list. Unfortunately for Steve and SHIELD, Peter Burke had shot and killed Adler three years ago to save Neal, causing Adler to take what he knew of HYDRA’s plans in the United States to his grave. The year before that, proof that Kate Moreau (Neal’s then-girlfriend who had pressured him into finding and stealing the music box) had been HYDRA was destroyed when the plane she was on exploded. It looked like the current Head of the New York branch of HYDRA was cleaning up their loose ends - anyone who could identify them or what they were doing seemed to be dying. Privately, Steve wondered who the head of the entire US branch of HYDRA was, and how high ranking they had to be. 

As expected, the FBI investigated. Fowler, though disgraced, had been one of theirs. Peter told Neal that Fowler was dead, and the FBI had hired him as a consultant on the case - Fowler had been found covered in paint that was revealed to have been mixed before the first World War. Once in the White Collar office, Peter showed Neal the evidence they were carefully keeping from the press - a pin found with the body, engraved with a weird looking octopus with a human skull. It was covered in blood. Blood that was not Fowler’s. It was not in the system, either. 

Neal’s blood had run cold when he’d seen the pin, recognizing it as identical to the pin that Steve had shown him from another murder scene, as well as from the box in the storage container. Neal didn’t tell Peter about it either, deciding instead to interrogate Steve the next time he came to the bakery. He never got the chance. 

A few days after Fowler was murdered, they heard chatter about another murder, this one of a disgraced former NYPD officer. Peter used his contacts to learn that this body was not covered in paint, though there had been a pin found next to the body. The pin had an unusual engraving, and was covered in blood. Despite there being nothing to indicate that the FBI needed to get involved - as there was no evidence that the assailant had crossed state lines - Peter and Neal headed to the crime scene, where one Detective Steve Rogers was waiting, to take over the investigation. 

“Why are you in my crime scene?” Peter asked, already turning to ask the FBI agents to tell the NYPD to leave.

“I could ask you the same thing, Agent Burke,” Steve retorted, standing by the body, “This victim is in my precinct, and we didn’t ask for FBI help.”

“This body makes three victims, all with the same MO, which makes it a serial killer, and FBI jurisdiction,” Burke replied.

“No, none of the victims found with this pin have been killed the same way, which means that it’s not a serial killer. However, this victim is connected to a murder a week ago, the one that _I_ am investigating.” Steve turned to the officer at the tape. “I’m sorry Agent Burke, but I am going to have to ask you to leave my crime scene.”

“What if we work together? Pool our resources?” Neal said quickly, already ducking under the tape surrounding the crime scene. Steve stopped and turned back to Burke.

“Wait, did you say that there had been three victims found with a pin like this?” Steve held up the pin, already safely in an evidence bag. “The NYPD has only had the one I mentioned to Neal…” 

“You mentioned…!” Peter turned to glare at his CI, who shrugged back at him, an innocent expression on his face. “You need to tell me things like this,” Peter said, before turning back to Steve. 

“Yes, a former FBI agent was found dead a few days ago. He was covered in paint that was determined to have been mixed before the First World War, if not earlier. The pin was found in his hand, covered in blood.”

“It’s not a pin,” Steve admitted. “It’s a piercing.” 

At Burke and Caffrey’s blank looks, he explained, “it’s why it’s covered in blood. It’s also easier to hide than a tattoo, which is what this organization used to use. Now, if you agree to give me everything you have on your agent, I will work with you on this case,” Steve paused, sighing, “We could use the help.”

Steve straightened to his full height, shaking his head as he sighed. There was something different about him, about how he stood, that made Neal’s fingers twitch for his brushes and he wanted nothing more than to go back to his apartment in June’s townhouse and paint Steve Rogers in the famous uniform of Captain America. 

“Let’s meet at Stark Tower in two hours. I’ll bring my notes and evidence, you make sure and bring yours,” Steve continued. 

“You can come to White Collar,” Peter offered, deciding that he would figure out later why Steve immediately suggested Stark Tower instead of the precinct. 

“You’ll see why I can’t do that once you see everything I have on this organization. It’s quite extensive. Stark Tower, two hours.” Steve nodded to the forensic techs taking pictures, and left the crime scene. 

Peter rounded on Neal, letting him know what he thought about Neal keeping things from him as he forced Neal into the car and drove back to White Collar. No one noticed that Peter’s hands lingered on Neal’s arm and back as he helped him into the car, or how Neal’s eyes softened as he smiled up at Peter. No one but the assassin watching from a distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vincent Alder dies during the events of "Under the Radar" (in 2008), and Kate Moreau dies during the events of "Out of the Box" (in 2007). Garrett Fowler is murdered in 2011.
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> Potential body horror: Steve reveals that the reason Fowler's hands are covered in blood is that he ripped out a piercing from his assailant; this will be discussed again in later chapters.


	7. Chapter 5 - Mr. Stark will be with you shortly

Two hours later, Agent Burke strode into Stark Tower, trailed by Neal Caffrey and a bunch of probies carrying evidence boxes. They were quickly and efficiently checked into the building, and security didn’t even raise an eyebrow at Neal’s name, though they had to know his background. This _was_ Stark Tower, after all. 

“Ms. Rushman will be down to greet you and bring you to the conference room,” one of the security guards said, handing them visitor badges, and telling them to “keep these on you at all times.” 

A few minutes later, a woman with long red hair stepped out of the rightmost elevator. She was wearing a professional cream-colored blouse and black pencil skirt, along with stiletto heels. She smiled slightly as she approached them, extending her hand. 

“Natalie Rushman,” she said. “I’m Ms. Potts’ PA.” Peter glanced at Neal as he shook her hand. 

“Agent Peter Burke, FBI,” he said. 

“Neal Caffrey, Ms. Rushman. I’m a consultant.” Neal flashed his winning smile, though Ms. Rushman didn’t seem to notice. 

“If you would follow me,” she said, leading them towards the bank of elevators. She pulled a key from somewhere, and inserted it next to the call buttons. The elevator doors all opened when she hit a button and she gestured for the probies to take the elevators. 

She smiled a half smile at Peter, and hit another button. An optical scanner popped open, she scanned her retina, and the rightmost elevator doors opened. “If you two gentlemen would come with me,” she said, stepping into the elevator. She had to use her fingerprint to select the unmarked button for the Stark Penthouse.

The elevator ride was incredibly smooth, with no indication that they were heading up to the top of Stark Tower. Peter broke the silence. 

“If I may, it seems like we’re going to a different floor than the evidence. Why?” he asked, catching her eyes as he leaned against the wall of the elevator. 

“You’ll see when we get there,” she said, dropping her eyes from Peter’s. Something about her seemed slightly ‘off’ to Neal, but there was nothing obvious. The elevator slowed down, and opened with a “ding” at the Stark Penthouse. “If you take a seat, I will bring some refreshments for your meeting.” Ms. Rushman gestured to a sitting area, and asked if they wanted something specific. Neal asked for some water as he took a seat, and Peter agreed. Ms. Rushman smiled slightly, and walked smoothly to the bar on the other side of the room. She pulled a few water bottles from the bar fridge, and put them on a tray along with a decanter of an amber liquid and half a dozen glasses. She was heading back with the tray when Steve Rogers stepped into the room. He glanced at Ms. Rushman, and greeted her warmly. 

“Ms. Rushman, I’m surprised Pepper was able to spare you for this. It’s good to see you again.” They walked over to Peter and Neal, and she placed the tray on the coffee table. 

“It’s nice to see you, as well, Detective.” She turned back to Peter. “Mr. Stark will be with you shortly.” She nodded as she walked back towards the kitchen, where she settled onto a stool at the counter and pulled out her phone, every inch the attentive PA. The elevator dinged again, and Tony Stark walked out. 

Stark was studying something on a tablet and walked across the room without looking up from whatever was holding his interest. He took a seat and poured himself some of the amber liquid before he looked up. There was something unsettling in his brown eyes, as if he was looking _through_ them. The faint glow from beneath his faded AC/DC t-shirt was disconcerting, and there was what looked like engine grease on his jeans. He looked more like a car mechanic than the billionaire former CEO of Stark Industries.

“So you’re the FBI agent trying to blow the operation my father started,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. Peter studied him before responding. 

“I’m trying to solve a murder, and keep New York safe.” Tony gave him another long look, before turning his gaze on Neal. 

“Did you ever steal anything from me or my company?” he asked, holding Neal’s gaze. Neal shook his head. It’s not that Neal hadn’t _considered_ attempting to steal something from Stark, but his security was just too good. “Considered it, I see,” Stark added, as if he could read minds. Neal nodded, seeing no reason to lie to him. 

“I’m assuming Detective Rogers let you know why we’re here?” Burke asked. Stark nodded. “He indicated that we could work together on this case?”

“He did, did he?” Stark asked, glancing at Rogers for the first time. At Rogers’ nod, Stark continued, “You must have found something, then. Something you don’t know you have, which is why my people are going through your evidence.” Peter startled, and Stark laughed. “My people are very good at what they do, Agent Burke.” 

“What do you know about HYDRA?” Steve asked, deliberately heading off the conflict. 

“Not much, unfortunately,” Burke admitted. “They’ve only come to our attention recently, as there’s nothing in the FBI databases, though they seem to have been leaving a lot of bodies for newcomers.” 

“That’s what I told Neal, I believe,” Steve said with a slight frown. “It’s not exactly true, I’m afraid.” 

“Who is HYDRA?” Burke asked, eyes narrowing as he studied Steve. “If they’re not some new organized crime syndicate, who are they?

“They’d be quite happy to be called an ‘organized crime syndicate’,” Stark muttered into his drink, and winced when Steve elbowed him. 

“HYDRA was started by Johann Schmidt,” Steve began. “It started as Adolf Hitler’s private science division, though Schmidt was allowed significantly more free reign than any other Nazi scientist. He was also the first test subject for the Erskine Serum, which was later given to Steve Rogers, the man who became Captain America. Are you with me so far?”

“HYDRA is a Nazi organization?” Burke asked. 

“Even more extreme, one could say,” Steve answered, before continuing. “Captain America, along with the Howling Commandos and the Scientific Strategic Reserve, fought directly against HYDRA during the Second World War, and Captain America later died to rid the world of HYDRA.”

“I learned about Captain America in elementary school, Detective,” Burke said. “What does this have to do with our victims?”

“HYDRA wasn’t as dead as was thought,” Stark said, “My father, Howard, discovered this, and started to look into figuring out how to rid the world of HYDRA, once and for all. Detective Rogers is one in a long line of police detectives, those who know the truth about HYDRA, and know that neither they nor the FBI can stop it.”

“So, why are we here?” Burke asked. 

“We’re being impressed into SHIELD, Peter,” Neal said, as the elevator doors opened to reveal the same man who’d ordered a chocolate cake from Neal’s bakery. Instead of a hoodie, he was wearing a long leather trench coat, and was clearly armed to the teeth.

“Mr. Caffrey is right,” he said. “If you want to solve that murder you mentioned, you will work with us on this.”


	8. Chapter 6: that wasn’t your question

The intake paperwork for the temporary liaison with SHIELD took hours, including the time it took to move to a conference room on a floor a short elevator ride away. There were more forms than Peter had ever seen, including when he joined the FBI _and_ when he got Neal released as a CI on a tracking anklet. There were forms for everything, including one that indicated who they would consent to have sex with in the event that they were dosed with sex pollen. When Neal questioned a few of the forms (the aforementioned sex pollen one, and one involving names in the event of gender changes), Ms. Rushman explained all of the forms as being standard procedure for employees of both SHIELD and Stark Industries. 

Once the intake paperwork was finished, Neal was nursing a migraine and a sore wrist. Ms. Rushman brought them a small lunch, while both Detective Rogers and Stark spent the time on their tablets. Neal stood and stretched his wrists, and was about to ask for the restroom when Stark stood, and slid his tablet in front of Peter. 

“You have one more form to sign, before you can get any more information about the Stark side of this joint Stark/SHIELD joint program.” Before Peter could protest, Stark continued, “This form is connected only to Stark Industries servers. However, once you sign this, once you learn what I know, what I’m doing, there is no backing out. You’ll be in this fight until it’s over, until we take HYDRA down. I’ll give you both 5 minutes to read that form and decide. There are no other penalties if you choose not to sign, just that you will be operating without several important pieces of information.” With that, Stark and Rogers left the conference room, along with Ms. Rushman. 

Neal turned to Peter, and pointed to the camera he’d seen when they first came in. It moved slightly as Stark left, indicating that someone was watching them. Peter nodded and they leaned closely over the tablet. Peter explained some of the legalese to Neal, and they both agreed to sign it. Peter picked up the stylus, which felt warmer than it should from having been placed on the table as Stark left. He printed his name, before signing and dating the non-disclosure form. Neal did the same, and they were completely unsurprised when Stark came back in as soon they’s signed. As did Ms. Rushman, though she was no longer dressed in her silk blouse and skirt, but a tight-fitting black jumpsuit, and was openly carrying two pistols at her hips. It clicked as Neal realized who she was, and kicked himself letting her cleavage fool him into not recognizing her face.

“It looks like Mr. Caffrey has figured some of this out already,” she said, taking a seat at the conference table. Fury and Rogers followed them into the room, and took seats while Stark fiddled with his tablet. Neal nodded, and took a sip of his water as Stark got whatever he was fussing at on his tablet to display. The door to the conference room shut and the windows tinted, just as every mobile device not personally vetted by Tony Stark went dark. 

“Stark told you what the public knows about HYDRA, but we’re going to tell you the fucking truth,” Fury said, standing and walking to the head of the table. Stark hit a button and a black and white photograph appeared on the screen. Fury pointed to a few of the men in the picture, identifying them as Howard Stark, Chester Phillips, and Arnim Zola, before pointing at the lone woman and identifying her as Agent Peggy Carter. The rest were either not identified or were names that neither Peter nor Neal recognized. Stark displayed the next picture. There were different faces in this one, and Zola was missing. 

“Thanks to the work of a deep cover agent, we were able to slowly but subtly remove active HYDRA agents from the Scientific Strategic Reserve. We aren’t sure we got every single motherfucking agent, which is why this is very hush hush,” Fury continued. “We have reason to believe that we are still compromised and therefore nothing we discuss may leave this conference room.

“Stark has verified the upper levels of Stark Industries, and had ensured that his security, research and development, and a few other departments are all free from HYDRA operatives. He’s using the same techniques to discover how many HYDRA agents have successfully infiltrated SHIELD. We’ve come across several already, and those are being carefully removed from operations, amongst other things. Those who have been cleared are getting fast-tracked into leadership positions, so I know who the fuck is at my back. What we don’t know is how far this goes.” Fury turned the debrief over to Stark, who displayed something else on the screen. 

“You know who I am, and I know Neal has figured out who she is,” Stark began, pointing at the redhead. “What you don’t know is who he is.” Stark pointed at Rogers, who nodded. Stark tapped the screen, and the image resolved into a file stamped with both “confidential” and “property of the US government.” It had the name “Rogers, Steven G.” written on it, though that was crossed out with a stamp marking Rogers as “deceased.” 

“As you know, Steve Rogers was selected by Dr. Erskine to receive the so-called Super Soldier Serum, and became known as “Captain America.” He did a few USO tours before going AWOL to run a raid on a HYDRA base in Italy. After that, he and the Howling Commandos made it their mission to wipe HYDRA off the map. It is also known that Captain America sacrificed his life to save the world, going down with the HYDRA ship _Valkyrie_. What is not known is that my father found him in the Arctic Ocean and successfully brought him back to life, where he has been working against HYDRA ever since he noticed that Zola had been invited into the SSR without so much as a background check. 

“Zola was quietly removed from his position, where he flipped on his fellow HYDRA agents, and he was equally as quietly imprisoned; he died of cancer in the 1970s. As the SSR became the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, better known as SHIELD, Rogers became less interested in rooting out HYDRA agents from an organization he no longer worked for directly. Instead, he became interested in a missing Nazi submarine. While there are as many conspiracy theories as there are missing Nazi U-Boats, the rumors about this one stayed rather consistent - it was said to be filled with priceless art, stolen by the Nazis, and several HYDRA artifacts. It was rumored that the secret to the U-Boat HYDRA and SHIELD were both looking for was contained within a priceless amber music box.” 

Stark paused in his narration, and glanced at Neal, before smirking. “The same music box and U-Boat you were looking for, yes. It is completely unknown what these HYDRA artifacts would look like, or what they would contain, if anything. It could be anything, from harmless gold to something referred to in legends as an ‘Infinity Stone’,” here Stark paused again, and displayed a black and white picture of a cube. It was about the size of a standard Rubix cube, and the notation next to it read that it was a piercing blue in color. A second hand had recorded that it was what powered the HYDRA weapons, though this person was unsure how that power could be harnessed, much less controlled. 

“This was referred to as ‘The Tesseract’, and legends have that it once resided in Odin’s armory. Everything about it is pure speculation, except that it was used by HYDRA to power their weaponry, and it was observed opening a rift in space.” Here, Stark paused, and glanced over at Peter and Neal. “Are you with me so far?” He asked. 

“I take this means that you’re not a detective with the NYPD?” Peter asked Rogers, studying him intently.

“I am, actually. My badge is as real as they come.” Rogers smiled blandly. “But that wasn’t your question, was it? You want to know if I’m _that_ Steve Rogers. If I’m Captain America.” 

“Well, are you?” Burke asked. Rogers nodded, before standing and walking to Stark’s display. Stark hit a button, and another picture appeared on the screen, this one of Captain America in his uniform. Steve stood directly next to it, and watched as everything clicked for both Peter and Neal. He really was Captain America, which meant that their little FBI case had just gotten rather complicated.


	9. Chapter 7: as secure as Fort Knox

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal and Peter have a private moment; Neal reflects on their past.

After the revelation that Captain America was still alive, Peter needed time to think about what he had learned. Stark agreed to a brief break and let Peter and Neal leave the conference room, but only after he confiscated their mobile phones. Neal hauled Peter into the surprisingly spacious bathroom (there was a small sitting area near the sinks!), and let him collapse onto one of the comfy chairs. Neal made sure that he (and his hat) was blocking the camera, to allow Peter a moment to gather himself. After a few moments, Neal pulled Peter into a hug, cradling his head. Anyone watching on the CCTV camera would make assumptions, but that was not Neal’s problem. Sometimes, he thought, it would be easier if things had worked out between them.

They’d tried. Shortly after Neal’s commutation, he’d come to their house for dinner. There, sitting at their table, in their kitchen, El had kissed him. She’d tasted like her homemade spaghetti sauce and the wine Neal had brought. Neal had looked at Peter, who’d simply smiled before leaning across the table to kiss him. Neal had realized what was happening when Peter kissed El while keeping eye contact with Neal, who’d smiled back. They’d slowly and carefully made their way up the stairs, with a trail of clothing to mark their path. 

It had been wonderful, and Neal had felt cherished, but it didn’t work out. No one was to blame - not Neal, not Peter (no one had even thought to blame El), but it didn’t work out. That night was one of Neal’s favorite memories of their time together, more so than the cases he’d solved with Peter. He knew he would cherish that night for the rest of his life, but he also knew that he would damage their relationship. He’d stayed close to them, going to events with El and solving crimes with Peter, but he’d stayed out of their bed. Peter had come home from more than one case to find Neal and El on the couch, El asleep in Neal’s lap. So, no, Neal thought nothing of clutching Peter to him in the bathroom of a random floor of Stark Tower to give Peter a few minutes to collect himself. 

After what felt like hours, though it had to have been only a few minutes, Peter leaned back, and looked up at Neal, who smiled that disarming smile. They separated, Neal making a comment about Stark having questions when he reviewed his CCTV footage. Peter laughed, before rinsing off his face. When he looked in mirror, Special Agent Peter Burke, the man who’d caught Neal Caffrey (twice!) was back. Neal took the opportunity to use the restroom, and they headed back to the conference room, Neal drying his hands on a paper towel as he went. 

Once back in the conference room, Stark returned their mobiles. “Your phones are now as secure as Fort Knox. Well… Anyway, I’ve added a few new features, ensured you get better reception, and made them impossible to clone. You can thank me later.” Neal pocketed his phone, and handed Peter his. They took their seats, and Peter asked the question he’d wanted answered since Steve had brought it up.

“How did you know that this was a piercing?” he asked, pulling an evidence bag from his jacket pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Peter put "Neal Caffrey" in the 'if you are not in a relationship and/or we can not reach your current sexual partner' section on his sex pollen form; Neal put "Peter Burke".


	10. Chapter 8 - My private garage, even

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Potential body horror - the location of the HYDRA body piercing is revealed. Please see the end notes for more information.

“How did you know this was a piercing?” Peter asked, pulling an evidence bag from his jacket pocket. Steve’s eyes flashed, and he reached to take it. Peter pulled it out of his reach with a “tsk”. “I called Diana, and she let me know that the techs confirmed that this is a piercing, not a pin,” he said, returning the evidence to his breast pocket. 

Peter turned to face Neal. “It would explain the blood. Jones said it looked like Fowler had a handful of blood.”

“If he ripped a piercing off his assailant, that would explain the blood, yeah.” Neal nodded along, leaning on the conference table. “He was FBI, even if he’d been behind a desk in OPR for years before his untimely death. I know you have to pass a yearly physical.”

“I’m not be getting any younger, I know, and while Jones may be better at hand-to-hand combat and Diana is certainly the best shot on the team, I’m in pretty good shape.” Peter glanced at Steve and back to Neal, nodding. 

“The last case, the one with the catburglar?” Neal asked. “You ran up to the 13th floor, chased and restrained the thief.”

“Beat Jones and Diana both, you’re right.” Peter paused, considering. “Where were you?”

“About three flights behind you trying not to vomit on my shoes.” Neal glanced at Steve and shrugged. 

“Ah, now I remember… We caught up with you on the way down. You didn’t look so good.”

“I’m not an FBI agent, Peter. Never was.” With a move so in sync it had to have been practiced, they turned back to Steve with identical expressions. Stark started laughing.

“You two are so drift compatible. Just tell Butch and Sundance, Capsicle.” Stark seemed to be typing rapid-fire on his mobile phone. When Steve hesitated, though Peter didn’t know for what, Stark paused in his typing and looked up at Steve. “Steve. Tell them or I will.” Steve took a deep breath. 

“My… partner… runs a tattoo parlor in Brooklyn,” Steve said. “Several of his fellow artists pierce. He recognized it as a piercing instantly. Said Monty had seen several of them in the last few months. Usually in… indelicate places.” 

Neal winced, and Stark smirked as his hands twitched. Peter didn’t blink as he pulled out his phone. “I’m calling Diana - I want the coroner to check Fowler’s body for evidence of any piercings, regardless of how old they seem to be.”

“Make sure your coroner looks for genital piercings,” Stark didn’t even look up as he spoke. “That’s what the Capsicle meant when he said ‘indelicate’, like this is the 40s.” Peter didn’t even blink, though Neal looked as if he would have paid money to see the look on Diana’s face when she heard that there was a possibility that Fowler had had a genital piercing. He hoped he was at work in time to see the look on Jones’ face when he reported whatever the coroner said in the morning. 

“I want to meet this Monty,” Peter said as he put his phone away. When Steve opened his mouth to argue, Peter gave him his patented narrowed eyes, before adding, “I don’t want to interrogate your partner or his friend. I want to know what he knows, and it will probably be better if we go to him, instead of having him come to us.” 

“He’s right, Capsicle,” Stark appeared to be playing a game on his phone, or possibly texting. Fury and the redheaded women were watching with identical bored expressions. “They can leave that subcompact excuse for a car in my private garage and take the subway, same as you do. That way they won’t scare off any customers.”

“You were followed here.” Fury spoke up for the first time since Steve revealed his identity. “My agents took care of it, and ensured that your probies weren’t followed back to your building. You and Mr. Caffery will need to change up your routines until this case is solved, Agent Burke.” 

“Come on, Peter,” Neal implored. “It makes sense, doesn’t it?” 

Peter made a face, realizing that Neal was right, as much as he probably didn’t want to admit to it. “We can leave the car in your garage?” he asked Stark, who nodded.

“My private garage, even. Where I keep my… roadsters.” He glanced at Fury as he spoke, an unusual hesitation about his famous collection of classic cars, before quickly adding, “You know what, just leave the keys with me, and I’ll make sure it’s sent to the correct garage. You’ll be able to collect it in the morning. Just take the subway to Stark Tower, and come in the main entrance. It’ll be set up for you.” 

Steve was nodding. “Yeah, if we leave now, we can can get to the parlor before the last client today, and you can talk to Monty about these piercings.”

“Where’s the parlor?” Neal asked. 

“Vinegar Heights. It’s near where I grew up, actually.” Steve looked briefly sad. 

“We can’t take your car to Vinegar Heights, Peter,” Neal cajoled. “The bridge traffic alone will be killer and the car will attract the sort of attention this tattoo parlor won’t want.”

“And we probably don’t want to have this “Monty” come to us, especially as we were followed here,” Peter reasoned, already nodding along with Neal. 

“It’s reasonable to expect that anyone on your team will be followed, yes,” Fury said, “Tell them to vary their routes and take the subway as much as possible - there are more entrance points and with the number of passengers, especially during peak transit times, it’s easier to lose a tail.” 

“I’ll tell Diana to pass that along. What can I tell her?” Peter asked, his phone already out. 

“That you were followed to your meeting and you’re worried about your team,” the redheaded woman spoke up. “It’s the truth, but it doesn’t tell them anything vital to national security.” Peter gave her the exact same look he gives Neal when he thinks he's keeping something from him, before telling Diana exactly that. He added that she should tell Christie to also vary her routes to and from the hospital. 

Peter put his phone away and pulled out his keys, which he slid across the table to Stark. “Don’t upgrade her while she’s here,” he instructed. 

“Don’t tell him that - he’ll take it as a challenge,” Steve said, collecting his case notes, files, and tablet to stuff in his bag. “Let’s take the other entrance to the subway, Tony?” 

“Great idea. I’ll add them to the system.” Tony dropped the keys into his pocket and picked up his mobile phone. His rapid tapping followed them out of the conference room and into the elevators. Steve pressed a button that they hadn’t noticed on the way up, and the elevator started descending. He turned to Peter.

“I have two things I need to let you know, Peter,” he said. “The first is that no one at the tattoo parlor that knows I’m Captain America.” Steve paused, before adding, “I wish I didn’t have to keep something that large from them.” 

“I think we can handle that,” Peter said, glancing at Neal, who was looking a little squirrelly. Peter narrowed his eyes at Neal, who smiled that innocent smile. “What’s the second thing?”

“I can count on one hand the number of people who have made that expression at Natasha and have lived to tell the tale, Peter.” The doors opened, revealing what looked like a back entrance to Grand Central Station. “She is the Black Widow, after all.” With that revelation, Steve lead them out into the main part of Grand Central, Neal dragging Peter, who had a dazed expression.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Potential body horror** : Steve and Tony reveal that the piercing Fowler ripped from his assailant was a genital piercing; this will be discussed again in later chapters.


	11. Chapter 9: Let me check their schedules for the day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Potential body horror - the HYDRA piercing (revealed in the last chapter as a genital piercing) is discussed again. Please see the end notes for more information.

Taking the Subway was easy, though they did have to switch lines after a few stops to catch the F Train to Vinegar Hill. Steve pointed out that there was an F Train stop a few blocks from Grand Central, and that they should use that in the morning and then walk to Stark Tower. Peter assured Steve that he could get back to Manhattan, and to Stark Tower. 

On the way there, they discussed banal things like the weather and how the bakery was doing in Neal’s absence. Neal laughed about that one, and admitted that he’d bought the bakery 4 years ago for the purpose of jumping onto the balcony from a judge’s chambers, and had been an incredibly hands-off manager ever since. He’d only kept the bakery as he’d never gotten around to selling it, with the incident with Keller and his commutation hearing happening almost back to back. Once his sentence was commuted, he’d used it as a legitimate source of income. It was useful, and it gave him something to do when he wasn’t consulting with the FBI. 

At 107 Tattoos, Steve introduced them to “The Howlies,” named after Captain America’s famous unit in WWII. None of them had appointments, so Peter and Neal got to meet Timothy “Dum Dum” Dugan, Gabe Jones, Montgomery “Monty” Falsworth, Jim Morita, and Jacques Dernier. James “Bucky” Barnes was apparently on a coffee run, but he quickly returned. It turned out that Steve had texted him, as he had enough coffee for them, as well. After they had their coffee break, everyone wandered back to their rooms and either designed tattoos or readied themselves for their next customer. Bucky gave Steve a lingering kiss before he winked at Neal. Monty settled on the stool behind the register and flipped aimlessly through the account books, while Jim checked on their supply of body piercings. 

“I take it that you gentleman are here about the unusual piercing that’s been cropping up at crime scenes?” Monty asked, closing the account books. Peter nodded and pulled the evidence bag from his pocket. Monty waved Jim over and they examined the barbell. 

“Basic barbell body piercing. Looks like it’s a pretty standard stainless, though this engraving is not standard. Most barbells like this are designed to be smooth, more of a first piercing or in a sensitive location,” Jim said. He leaned over and picked up a photo printout which was sitting on top of a stack of photo printouts next to a box of nitrile and a box latex gloves. “Here’s what we offer here at 107. We can also special order, but this is our standard offerings. Note the smoothness of the barbell shafts.” 

“That goes double for a genital piercing,” Monty added. “I’ll pierce with some of our special order piercings, but not for a first piercing. Had to turn away a few customers for that rule.” 

“Do you recognize the symbol?” Neal asked, leaning over the photo printout. “Steve said that you might have seen it before.”

“It looks like it might be the next fad, getting a genital piercing with that symbol on it. I’ve seen it enough times that it’s not a coincidence.” Monty shrugged. “It looks vaguely familiar, like I _should_ recognize it, but I don’t. Is it important?”

“It could be. This one was found in the hand of a deceased and disgraced former FBI agent.” Peter returned the evidence to his pocket. “What happens when someone rips out a piercing like this?” Monty and Jim both winced, before Monty spoke.

“Lots and lots of blood. Some of these piercings can bleed rather freely for a few minutes after the initial piercing. Depending on where the piercing was and how new it was…” Monty trailed off. “You wouldn’t have to go to a hospital to repair the damage, but I would suggest it, assuming that this piercing was where the rest are.”

“And where are the rest of the piercings that you’ve seen been located?” Peter asked. Monty gave him a serious look. 

“Scrotums. Not a place I’d like to see a piercing ripped off.” Monty smirked as Peter winced and Neal’s hands instinctively went towards his groin. 

“What else can The Howlies do for you, Agent Burke?” Steve asked, as he stepped out of the breakroom and expertly maneuvered Peter away from Monty and into parlor’s back break room.

“Nothing, at the moment.” Peter paused, looking around the break room. “If you have the time, would you be willing to introduce me to the… Howlies? I only got to meet them briefly earlier.”

“Of course, not a problem. Let me check their schedules for the day,” Steve said as he checked their calendar, which was printed out daily from the master schedule. “It looks like Dernier has an appointment, if you’d like to see him in action.”

“What does Dernier do here at the parlor?” Peter asked as they headed towards Dernier’s workstation, where a young woman was sitting in a bikini. 

“I’m a temporary tattoo specialist,” Dernier sad, his slight French accent a bit more pronounced as he concentrated on setting up his airbrushing equipment and pulling on his gloves. “I mostly do airbrushing, though I also do henna and am currently experimenting with other forms, trying to extend the lifetime of temporary tattoos.”

“I came here because 107 Tattoos is the only place to get a waterproof airbrush tattoo,” the client on the table said, shrugging. She rolled onto her stomach when Dernier motioned her to, and Steve gently tugged Peter out and into Dum Dum’s room. Dum Dum was sitting in a chair, sketching a linework tattoo, and was happy to show Peter examples of his tattoos, as well as explain the process for shading in permanent ink. Next up was Gabe, who was carefully inking a bright fiery watercolor onto a beautiful black woman. He asked if his client minded, and them demonstrated how he created the distinctive look of watercolors as a tattoo. After a few minutes of observation, Steve led Peter to Bucky’s room, where Bucky was adding the finishing touches to a small navy star on his client’s upper arm. From the door, Steve confided in Peter that Bucky was the parlor’s most sought-after artist, as he was one of the few tattoo artists who specialized in tattooing over scars. Not ‘could do’ it, but ‘specialized in’ it. 

Peter watched Bucky for longer than any of the other artists, watching the care Bucky put into the navy stars. At some point, Steve wandered off, allowing Peter to watch Bucky for as long as Bucky would let him. Bucky must have felt Peter staring at him, as he turned to him, a slight smile on his face. A few moments later, after Bucky had returned his full attention to his client, Peter wandered back to the waiting area, where he saw that Neal had decided to curl up in one of the comfortable chairs with a sketchbook. It didn’t take an FBI agent to recognize the sketchbook as Neal’s and to know that Neal hadn’t brought it with him to Brooklyn. Peter watched as Steve handed Neal a mug, their fingers touching as Steve murmured something to him. Neal smiled, showing Steve whatever he was sketching as he took a sip of what was presumably coffee. Neal’s smile wasn’t his flirtatious smile, nor one of his fake smiles, but his real one, the one Peter could count on one hand the number of people who’d seen since whatever had convinced him to leave St. Louis the day he turned 18. Peter smiled sadly as he headed over to Neal and Steve.

“He’ll love it, yeah,” Steve was saying, pointing to whatever Neal had drawn. “This part, especially. It’ll translate to all of the primary types of tattoos, as well?”

“I can resketch it in markers later, if Gabe or Bucky need it, or paint it in oils, pastels, or watercolors.” Neal smiled as he turned the sketch to Peter, showing off whatever he’d sketched. Peter studied it for a few moments. 

“It looks good to me,” Peter said as he paused before adding, “what is it?”

“Something abstract for a client,” Dum Dum said, stepping out of his room to look at the sketch. “I’m not the best at drawing abstract linework tattoos, so I asked Neal if he would sketch me something to suggest to my client when he comes back in. I’m better at drawing patterns,” he added when Peter gave him a questioning glance. 

“I thought you were the line art specialist?” Peter asked. 

“I can trace anything you give me. I’m not good at designing completely abstract linework tattoos. I think too linearly for that.” Dum Dum shrugged. “I’ve seen some of Neal’s… alleged… work, and asked if he would be willing to sketch me some suggestions for abstract line art tattoos. For a percentage of the fee, of course.” 

“A small percentage, Peter,” Neal said, sliding into a full sitting position. “I keep telling them that I’m happy enough to have something to sketch that I don’t need the payment, but Bucky insists that I get, what did he say, ‘compensated for my troubles’?” Neal smirked at Steve. 

“That sounds like our Bucky,” Monty said from where he was going over the books and checking the schedule. He glanced up at the group. “Are you staying for dinner? Bucky’s buying and you’re both invited.” The Howlies around Peter and Neal agreed, asking them to stay. 

“It’s traditional,” Monty said. “Goes back to when we’d just started. Bucky was still going through PT and we were all training together to learn how to tattoo properly. We all lived above the shop at that time, so we rotated who had to provide dinner each night.” 

“Which was when we learned Bucky can’t cook worth shit,” Dum Dum said, breaking the mood. “So we rotated him out until he got out of PT and then he was responsible for acquiring dinner. He said he’s going for ‘comfort food’ tonight, as it’s been a tough week for Steve.”

“Hopefully it’s not whatever he got last time,” Dernier said, escorting his client out of his room, and to Monty, who took over for collecting all of her information. “I don’t care what the restaurant said, that was _not_ French.” The Howlies dissolved in laughter at his words, and were still laughing when Gabe escorted his client out. He glared at them, and made sure his client knew the proper aftercare for her new tattoo before Monty collected her information. A few minutes after both of the clients had left, Bucky escorted his client out, quietly murmuring. Monty waved them out, and Bucky walked his client to their car, before returning. 

“Who’s up for dinner?” Bucky asked, phone in his hand. “If I can get the order in within the next, oh 10 minutes, it’ll be here in 30. Peter? Neal? You in?”

Peter shook his head, saying that he’d promised El that he’d be home for dinner, and he’d have to leave soon if he wanted to get back in time. “You coming Neal? I’m willing to spring for a cab. You can stay in the guestroom and El can drop you at the bakery in the morning.” Neal looked slightly torn. 

“You can always stay with us, Neal, and take the subway to Manhattan in the morning with Steve.” Bucky smirked slightly as he said that, resting his hand on Steve’s waist and pulling Steve against him. Neal smiled his flirtatious smile and murmured something that sounded suspiciously like “it wouldn’t be the first time,” and shook his head at Peter, thanking him for the offer. 

As Peter called for a cab and Bucky placed a large dinner order, Neal leaned slightly against Steve, his eyes smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Potential body horror** : Monty, Jim Morita, Peter, and Neal discuss how Garrett Fowler ripped a scrotum piercing from his assailant.


	12. Chapter 10: tentatively willing to call a relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What had started as a one night stand between friends had blossomed over the last year into what Neal was tentatively willing to call a relationship, at least in the deep recess of his own mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's earn that "E" rating, shall we?

Everyone crowded around Bucky’s kitchen table to eat the food he’d ordered. Neal was in his usual spot, tucked in between Steve and Bucky at the head of the table, while the Howlies alternated who got to be next to Steve and Bucky. Monty, sitting next to Steve, gave him a hard time about his long hours at the precinct the last few weeks. Neal felt his composure slip for a moment, and he took a large swallow of his wine, reminding himself that Steve was keeping this secret from the Howlies, from Bucky, for a reason. He must have looked a bit too pensive, as Bucky nudged him at the same moment Steve stepped on his foot, though they had two different reasons for pulling him out of his thoughts. Neal smiled at both of them, and took another large swallow of his wine. He’d brought a few bottles of decent wine with him one time; Steve and Bucky weren’t wine drinkers - Bucky thought that cheap Rosés went with everything and Steve agreed - but they were craft beer aficionados. Dernier was a wine drinker, though he no longer lived at the apartment over the tattoo parlor and therefore didn’t keep wine for himself and Neal.

Neal continued drinking his wine, a little faster than he normally would, as he thought about his relationship with Steve, Bucky, and Steve-and-Bucky. He had a toothbrush at the apartment, and a handful of his own toiletries, including a travel sized bottle of his cologne. What had started as a one night stand between friends had blossomed over the last year into what Neal was tentatively willing to call a relationship, at least in the deep recess of his own mind. Steve elbowed him with more force than usual, and gave him a stern look, as if he knew what Neal was thinking about. Luckily, Bucky and the Howlies were used to Neal’s thoughts wandering in the middle of dinner, and didn’t seem too fussed about why or what he was thinking about.

After dinner was eaten, dessert consumed, and the Howlies finished their last drinks and left for their apartments. Monty had been the last Howlie to find his own apartment, and had left around the time Steve had moved in over a year ago. As usual, Neal made half-hearted protests about leaving, even going so far as to collect his suit jacket. He hadn’t put it on when Bucky gripped his right wrist ever so gently with his left hand, eyebrow raised, before pulling him into the living room, where Steve was waiting for them on the couch. Neal tossed his jacket and grinned before burying his left hand in Bucky’s hair as they sloppily made out on their way to the couch.

The both kissed the same way, as if they were in charge, and they could get quite rough quite fast if left on their own, neither willing to relax and let the other take charge. They were closely matched in both height and strength, and were hot as hell when they were together, Neal usually on top, the buttons torn from his shirt, his hair wild as Bucky held onto his hips with his left hand.

Somehow, Bucky turned Neal so his knees hit the back of the couch and he thumped down, Bucky straddling him. Bucky braced himself on the back of the couch with his left hand, and reached with his right to drag Steve into the makeout pile. He slid Neal’s hand out of his hair and into Steve’s, even as he sat back to allow Steve to ravish Neal’s mouth. Experimentation had proved that Neal was a sensualist, and that he was turned on by his partners’ pleasure. When Steve pulled away, Neal’s eyes were slitted and his pupils blown. He skin was flushed and his head lolled against the back of the couch as he panted slightly. His lips were slightly swollen with the beginnings of beard burn against his delicate skin.

Neal dropped his hand from Steve’s hair and went for Steve’s belt and zipper, even as he fisted his right hand in Bucky’s shirt, trying to pull him closer against him. Bucky chuckled, and stayed where he was as he undid Neal’s tie and the first few buttons of his shirt. He pressed his lips to Neal’s smooth chest and sucked the beginnings of a love bite along Neal’s sternum. He felt Steve’s hand slide between them, aimed for Neal’s zipper, and Neal bucked against them when Steve got his hand around his dick. Bucky kept himself braced against the couch as Neal’s hand released his shirt and tangled itself in his hair and a hand went after his zipper. He thought it was Steve’s, based on the angle, but it could have been Neal’s. Steve huffed out a breath against Bucky’s neck as Neal got his fingers against his dick. The angles were a bit awkward and Bucky’s back was going to complain sooner rather than later, as Bucky kept unbuttoning Neal’s shirt and sucking love bites, though Neal’s cut off moans were enough to make Bucky want to lavish attention on him. Steve’s weight shifted a bit, and Neal squirmed as Steve started kissing him again, moaning into his mouth.

After a few minutes of Bucky sucking love bites down Neal’s sternum and Steve making out with him, while they all had someone’s hand lightly stroking them to full hardness, Bucky’s back complained and he had to sit up. Back cramps were not sexy. Steve pressed a hand against the small of his back as Bucky straightened, and Bucky sighed slightly as he leaned back. Neal looked like he’d already been ravished, eyes closed and head lolling against the couch. The flush extended from the tips of his ears all the way down his chest. He had a nicely forming set of love bites down his sternum, each matching the approximate location of the buttons on his now unbuttoned shirt. He’d spread his legs as much as he could with Bucky straddling him, giving Steve as much room as possible, and there was a sizable bugle visible when Steve slid his hand out of Neal’s trousers.

Neal whimpered slightly as Steve pulled his hand off his dick, eyes opening just long enough to give Steve a mock stern look before closing again. When Steve didn’t return his hand, he opened his eyes and sat a little straighter on the couch. He seemed remarkably unconcerned that he had his right hand gently tangled in Bucky’s hair and his left hand wrapped around Steve’s dick. He smirked slightly as he kept stroking Steve, who hissed out a breath and said, “Bedroom.” Neal nodded and smiled as if it had been his idea, though he made no move to release either of them.

They’d done it on the couch (of course they had), but the geometry had been hard to do on the fly, with both Neal and Bucky more than slightly tipsy and Neal’s coordination shot with both alcohol and the fact that he got off on his partners’ satisfaction. Steve’s surprising strength had kept them from seriously hurting themselves, though Bucky’s back had complained for a few days and Neal had had to hide a pulled muscle while working a case with the FBI. Steve had decided that they weren’t having sex as a unit on the couch unless they were all sober. They’d all mutually caught the other two either making out or having sex on the couch far too many times for it to be completely off limits, as Steve had said.

With that in mind, Steve pulled Neal’s hand out of his slacks and leveraged Neal to his feet. Neal slid his hand out of Bucky’s hair with a grin, eyes bright. Neal’s knees seemed to have turned to jelly, but he followed Steve towards their bedroom without complaint. Bucky collected Neal’s wine glass and their beer bottles, and followed the cut off moans and the trail of clothing. Neal’s tie was the first item of clothing he passed, followed by Steve’s shirt. Bucky quickly followed them into his bedroom, catching Neal’s shirt as he went. He was greeted by the sight of Steve and Neal making out, hands roaming all over each other’s bodies as they ground slightly against each other, Neal’s slight but muscular frame dwarfed by Steve’s much larger and muscular chest. Steve saw Bucky out of the corner of his eye, and turned Neal slightly, so that he could gently push him onto the bed, where Neal bounced a little. Bucky put the wine glass and beer bottles on the bedside table, and pounced, landing between Neal’s spread legs. Neal was still in his unbuttoned slacks, but that would change soon.

Neal smiled up at Bucky, and they made out for a bit as Steve pulled lube and condoms out of their bedside table, Neal doing filthy things with his tongue. This position didn’t give either of them any friction against their dicks, which made Neal groan in frustration after a minute or so. Bucky sat back, and pulled Neal’s trousers as far down as he could, exposing that he wasn’t wearing underwear. Neal grinned at Bucky, and groaned in pleasure as Bucky gave him a few good strokes, his head smacking against the headboard.

“Let’s get you prepped, yeah?” Bucky asked, watching Neal closely. It wouldn’t be the first time the Neal had shown up at their apartment having already prepped himself, as he wasn’t a huge fan of being on his stomach while he was prepped. Neal nodded, and let Bucky pull his slacks off all the way before rolling onto his stomach and almost curling into himself. Steve handed Bucky a bottle of lube and a condom before flopping down next to Neal, who relaxed a bit as he ran his hands over Neal’s shoulders. Steve kept up a stream of soothing words as Bucky prepped Neal the way Neal liked it, noting that Bucky was running his left arm down Neal’s back and kneading his ass as he did it. Neal had a complete fascination with Bucky’s prosthetic, and never missed an opportunity to take a close look at it. He’d lasted less than a minute the time Bucky had stroked him off with it.

Once Neal was ready, Bucky unwrapped the condom and rolled it down his dick, touching himself the least he could, before relaxing against the pillows piled against the headboard, legs spread wide, the better to cradle Neal with. With Steve’s help, Neal slid himself down onto Bucky’s dick. Steve held tight, as Neal liked to slide down hard and fast, but then it was over too quickly. Bucky wanted to take his time tonight. Once Neal was situated, Bucky buried deeply inside him, Steve pulled the bottle of lube out and started prepping himself. Neal whimpered as he watched, though that could have been because Bucky was both circling his hips slightly and keeping Neal from being able to move with a strong grip with his left hand. Neal had to settle for twitching his hips, but he was clearly not getting what he wanted, huffing in frustration.

While Steve was prepping himself, Bucky started sucking another love bite, this one against Neal’s left shoulder blade, where it would rest against Bucky’s arm if Neal leaned back. He lavished attention against the spot, licking and sucking at Neal’s shoulder while keeping eye contact with Steve. Steve smirked, and dropped between Neal’s spread legs. Neal groaned sharply, thighs wrapping around Steve’s head, and he bucked as Steve rolled the condom on with his mouth. Bucky could tell when Steve did _that thing_ with his tongue based on the hitch in Neal’s breathing as he attempted to thrust his hips. For a man with an uncircumsized dick, Steve certainly knew his way around circumsized ones.

After what was probably not long enough for Neal, Steve pulled his mouth off Neal’s dick. Neal whimpered as Bucky shifted his hips and sucked against the love bite. Neal was probably approaching being overstimulated, with Bucky’s dick resting perfectly against his prostate, so Steve made sure he was ready and angled himself so he could face Neal and Bucky and sank down on Neal’s dick. Neal made a sound that was closer to a scream of pleasure than a moan, and he seemed torn between the need to push back against Bucky or thrust up into Steve, before he settled on relaxing against Bucky as best he could. Bucky released his grip on Neal’s hips and snaked his left hand around to play with Neal’s nipples, and used his right to slowly stroke Steve as they rocked together.

Neal wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck to lessen the combined weight on Bucky, which allowed Bucky more leverage. He could tell when he found _the_ spot for Neal, as Neal’s hips stuttered and he loudly moaned into Steve’s mouth. Steve probably tasted like latex, but Neal clearly didn’t care. It didn’t take too long for Neal to come, followed closely by Bucky, who stroked Steve roughly a few times until he came too, tightening down on Neal, who groaned slightly. Bucky slid out of Neal, before disposing of his condom in the wastebasket next to the bed. Steve pulled himself off Neal with a groan.

Both Neal and Steve were still hard, and Steve sometimes needed to come a second time before he could sleep. Bucky snaked a hand in and pulled their condoms off for disposal, before sliding a fresh condom on Steve. Neal’s dick was always oversensitive, so Bucky was quick about removing the condom. He slid from the bed to get a washcloth to clean up with as Neal murmured something to Steve. Their previous time together, Neal had let Steve fuck his mouth hard enough that he’d had a slight rasp in his voice the next day. Bucky was rarely interested in getting between them at this point, though he enjoyed watching whatever they decided to do.

When he came back with the washcloths, Steve was lying against the headboard and Neal was grinning as he sank down on Steve’s dick. Neal preferred to ride his male partners, they’d learned, though he loved having Bucky at his back. It was something about the arm. Neal rode Steve hard and fast, Steve sucking a love bite onto Neal’s right collar bone, while Bucky made out with Neal, hands roaming everywhere but his dick. The positioning was a bit awkward, but it worked, Steve coming again and Neal slumping on top of him, supported by Bucky’s left arm around his shoulders. After Steve pulled out, Bucky disposed of the condoms and cleaned them up, noticing that Steve had managed to leave _beard burn_ along the insides of both of Neal’s thighs when he’d blown him. He tossed the washcloth in the general direction of the clothes hamper and helped Steve and Neal get fully under the covers, before slipping on a pair of boxers and slipping in to the bed and between them. Neal curled up on his right side, a legacy of the tracking anklet he’d worn on his left ankle, and Bucky worked his right foot between Neal’s feet as he and Steve curled up their left sides. He tangled his left hand in Neal’s hand, and smiled sleepily at him. Neal smiled back as he fell asleep. Steve’s breathing smoothed out, his grip tightening slightly against Bucky’s stomach.

 


	13. Chapter 11: You need coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning after fluff

The next morning, Neal was awoken when Steve’s phone went off. It wasn’t his normal alarm tone, nor his normal ring tone. Not even the one he used for people he didn’t like, such as Internal Affairs. It sounded more like something from Star Wars or Star Trek than anything Apple created. 

Steve grumpily picked up his phone, checked it, and slid out of the warm bed. Bucky made a sound of discontent, but snuggled against Neal when Steve murmured that it was a work call. Neal’s eyes tracked Steve as he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and left the bedroom, his phone already at his ear. Neal wanted to worry about the phone call, but the bed was warm and Bucky was a heavy and comforting weight against him as he fell back asleep. 

“Bucky, baby, come on, wake up,” Steve was saying as he shook Neal awake. “It’s important.”

“Whuzza?” Bucky’s question was not intelligible to most people, his voice sleep-roughened, but Steve seemed to speak “sleepy Bucky.” 

“I need to go to the precinct,” Steve was already dressed, and Neal could smell coffee. “I need to bring Neal with me.” Bucky murmured something else, this even less intelligible than the previous. Steve chuckled slightly. 

“I can’t tell you, it involves an active case. I hope I’ll be back for diner. I brought you coffee - it’s on the nightstand.” Neal slowly pulled himself out of the bed, and blinked at Steve. It was incredibly early - the sky was barely pink, the dawn still breaking. He sat on the edge of the bed, blinking sleep away as Steve brought him the suit he’d worn to the bakery the day before. It was a little wrinkled, though his shirt was beyond crumpled. Steve pressed a something soft into his hands and instructed him to get dressed. Steve pulled something out of the closet, and handed it to Neal. It took far too long for Neal to realize that it was probably one of Bucky’s shirts.

“I can’t find your tie,” Steve was saying, as he handed Neal a pair of socks, though not the cotton-silk blend pair he’d worn the day before. “Bucky, see if you can find the rest of Neal’s clothing. It probably needs to be dry cleaned, so don’t just throw it in the washing machine. Come on, Neal.” With that, Steve kissed Bucky, and dragged the unresisting Neal from the bedroom. 

“You need coffee,” he was saying as he poured a cup and handed it to Neal, who stared at it blankly, as if he wasn’t sure what to do with it. Steve swiped it back, added a heavy pour of milk and handed it back. “Come on, hurry, we need to get back to Stark Tower.”

After a few swallows of much too hot coffee, Neal was able to ask Steve what was going on and why they were in such a hurry. Steve looked worried as he told Neal that they couldn’t discuss it until they got to Stark Tower, though he went through the cabinets looking for travel mugs. Finding two, he poured them both another cup of coffee, secured the lids, and quickly got Neal out of the door to the apartment. Within minutes, they were walking to the subway station, Steve looking around as if he was afraid of them being followed. 

They took the F train all the way to 42nd street this time, instead of changing trains, and walked quickly to Grand Central. Once there, Steve directed Neal through an “authorized personnel only” door, though Neal doubted that many maintenance doors had advanced biometric security, even in New York. Once inside, the walked a few feet to the same elevator they’d taken down the day before. Steve used his retina scan and his fingerprint to open the door, and his voice print to take them directly to the Stark Penthouse. He then told Neal that something had happened, and that Stark and Fury were waiting for them in the Penthouse.


	14. Chapter 12: I know that now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A HYDRA Agent escapes SHIELD custody to free a cunning thief and a dangerous scientist.

Up in the Stark Penthouse, there was a flurry of activity, as people hurried around the room, distributing tablets and coffee. A tall, thin redhead yawned around her coffee cup as she directed traffic through the kitchen, still in her purple silk pajamas. A short brunette in a black pencil skirt and a blue silk blouse that matched her eyes was talking quietly with her, also yawning over her coffee.

On the couch in the sitting area were two people Steve hadn’t seen, though they clearly knew Peter, who was furiously taking notes on a Stark tablet as he listened to a man in a Stark Industries Security uniform. Neal wandered towards the kitchen, kissing El as he swiped her coffee. He smiled slightly, still rather sleepy, as he watched the Black Widow, back in her Ms. Rushman persona, carry a tray of coffee over to the agents on the sofa. She handed Neal his own cup of coffee on her way back to the kitchen. 

While he was watching the the agents on the sofa as they filled out paperwork, Tony Stark was talking a mile a minute into a mobile phone, clearly furious about something. Both of the agents were African-American, and were yawning into their coffee as they signed page after page of the same documents Peter and Neal had signed barely 12 hours earlier, which indicated that they were the two other agents on Peter’s White Collar Taskforce. Steve watched as Ms. Rushman escorted Elizabeth Burke and Pepper Potts out of the living area, presumably because they were going to discuss what had happened and they weren’t authorized to know. 

“Okay,” the male agent said around a huge yawn, “once we finish this, we can get read into what’s really going on with this new organization that seems to have sprung up overnight?”

“As much as the rest of my agents know, yes,” Fury said, taking the stack of signed sheets from the female agent. 

“Not everything?” she asked. “I’d think that you’d want us knowing everything. It help us do our job.”

“Once you finish with these papers, your job is to work for me until we solve these fucking crimes.” Fury nodded as he collected the other agent’s stack of signed sheets, ignoring their looks at him for his language. “There are things that even my XO doesn’t know about this organization. Hill!” He called out.

‘Hill’ was a tall brunette woman wearing a tactical suit, who quickly walked over and handed them a Stark tablet. “Here, this is everything you’re authorized to know about HYDRA. You can read it on the plane to London.”

“What happened?” Steve asked, pouring his own coffee from the pot that he had just finished brewing. 

“Brock Rumlow escaped from SHIELD holding less than 48 hours ago,” Fury said. “You remember him, right?”

“The sadistic former leader of the SHIELD STRIKE team? The one accused of massacring civilians in both Iraq Wars and in Afghanistan?” Steve asked. “We’re acquainted. Why wasn’t I informed yesterday that he’d escaped?”

“We knew where he was,” Fury said, holding up his hand to stall Steve. “He didn’t kill anyone when he escaped, and we wanted to know where he was going before we brought him in. He went straight to Fort Deadlock.” 

“Who’d he free?” Steve asked, glaring at Fury.

“What’s Fort Deadlock?” the female agent asked. “Special Agent Diana Berrigan, White Collar,” she said to Steve, who nodded. 

“It’s the maximum security prison where SHIELD keeps known or suspected HYDRA agents.” Steve looked frustrated. “Who’d he free?” has asked again. 

“Two people,” Maria Hill said, reading from the notes on her tablet. “One was a thief named Matthew Keller, which is why we brought in Peter’s team.”

“Keller’s good, but there’s no reason to break into a Maximum Security prison to free him. There are plenty of good thieves out there.” Neal paused, looking around the room. “Or, so I’ve heard.”

“Why was Keller transferred to Fort Deadlock? You said that it is where SHIELD keeps known or suspected HYDRA agents,” the other agent asked. “Clinton Jones,” he added, nodding at Steve.

“He fits the profile Stark created for suspected HYDRA agents. He was transferred into SHIELD custody so that we could… investigate whether he had any ties to HYDRA. If he didn’t, we were going to transfer him back to the Russian prison system.” Hill settled into one of the stools near the kitchen. 

“SHIELD unofficially agrees with Neal about Keller,” Fury said. “If all HYDRA wants is a thief, why risk breaking Keller out?” 

“You mentioned that Rumlow broke two people out. Keller’s the first; who’s the second?” Burke asked. 

“Baron Wolfgang von Strucker,” Maria Hill said. Steve glared at Fury. 

“Why wasn’t he on the Raft?” Steve asked.

“Ross hadn’t had a chance to process the transfer,” Hill admitted. She gave Steve a significant look. 

“Do we know what Strucker is after?” Steve asked after a few moments. 

“Unfortunately not,” Hill said. “Keller was caught on camera in London, breaking into Stark Industries London last night. We think that’s why Rumlow broke him out of Fort Deadlock - to break into Stark Industries London.”

“What does Stark Industries London do? Anything special?” Jones asked Stark himself, who nodded. 

“Each of the main locations has a specialization,” Tony said. “For example Stark Industries Los Angeles produces Stark Tech. Stark Industries London is in charge of… cutting edge research into Green Energy.”

“Anything HYDRA might be interested in?” Steve asked, genuinely curious. Stark shrugged. 

“My dad kept a lot of things from the war there. Including some of his less successful inventions. Perhaps they think he designed something that actually worked.” 

“SHIELD is sending my team to London to see if we can catch Keller and flip him on this ‘Baron Strucker’?” Peter asked. 

“Besides Caffrey, does Keller have any known, living, associates?” Hill asked. “We’ll want to keep an eye on them.”

“Keller tends to shoot his associates so they can’t be caught and roll on him.” Neal paused, considering. “Larssen, perhaps. Though he was being paid by Adler.”

“Adler was HYDRA.” Everyone turned to Steve, who shrugged. “It looked like he was charged with finding the submarine. HYDRA was after the manifest, specifically.” 

“We can send over Keller’s file before we leave for London?” Diana offered. “I don’t remember any known associates off the top of my head.” 

“Call the office and have one of the probies fax it over.” Everyone looked at Fury. “You’ve been consistently followed since the first pin appeared.” Burke nodded at Diana, who placed the call to the office. Stark wrote down the number of a secure fax line and told her to have it faxed to that number. 

“So we’re going to London to catch Keller…” Jones nodded thoughtfully. “Why were Neal and Elizabeth brought in?”

“Truthfully, for their own protection,” Maria Hill said. “However, we can’t read Mrs. Burke in.”

“Pepper hired her as an event planner for the upcoming Stark Gala,” Stark said. When everyone gave him suspicious looks, he smirked his shit-eating smirk, and added “We had a legitimate last-minute cancellation from my previous event planner. Something about an extended family emergency. Burke Premiere Events was already Pepper’s EBUEP.” Everyone gave him funny looks, but no one questioned the inanity of whatever an “EBUEP” was. 

“I’ll go to London with Peter. I’ve helped bring Keller in a few times,” Neal offered after a few moments. 

“Oh, you’re going to London, but not with the FBI,” Stark said. “I recently acquired some… _items_... of dubious origin. I want you to authenticate them.” When Neal seemed to hesitate, he added, “The authentication fee is significant, even by my standards.”

Neal nodded, sighing. “I’d be happy to take a look at them.”

“Perfect. You can fly out with the team. Pepper will give you the information you need about the recent acquisitions.” Stark glanced down at his tablet, and tapped something incredibly quickly, before looking back at the group. “Ms. Rushman, would you please escort Agents Barrigan and Jones to…?”

“The staging area?” she asked as she walked across the room. “Of course.” She led them back across the room with a polite, “if you would follow me, please.” 

Once the agents had left the room, Stark snapped his fingers and made a gesture with his hand; everyone who wasn’t cleared to know about Captain America left, including the unobtrusive bodyguard standing next to the ficus. Neal made the exact face of someone who had just realized that their phone was on vibrate, and pulled it out. After exchanging a nod with Peter, he stepped into the kitchen for a soupçon of privacy. Steve heard most of the whispered conversation with someone named “Mozzie” about something Neal referred to as “the treasure.” _Bingo_ , Steve thought, even though he didn’t let his expression change at all. 

“As you can understand, you are not to let your agents discover the identify of Detective Rogers. Is that clear?” Stark was saying when Neal wandered back in. Steve handed him a fresh mug of coffee, and Neal smiled in gratitude. 

“Crystal, Mr. Stark,” Peter said. “May I ask why?”

“The fewer people who know, the better,” Fury said, leaning against the sofa. 

“Why were we read in, then?” Peter asked. 

“That was Captain Rogers’ call,” Fury said. “He said he needed Mr. Caffrey for something. Unfortunately, because of his prior conviction, Mr. Caffrey can’t be cleared at that security level without someone, essentially, cosigning on him. You were cleared for that security level the first time your name came up in conjunction to the Nazi submarine.”

“What does Captain Rogers need from Neal?” Peter asked before Neal could say anything. 

“You’d have to ask him.” Fury gestured to Steve. “He did say it involved said Nazi submarine, though.”

“That submarine that Adler was after was rumored to contain a HYDRA artifact, something that you learned yesterday.” Steve paused, clearly considering. “What you don’t know, Agent Burke, is that about a week ago, I brought the first of the HYDRA piercings to Neal at the bakery. I asked him to identify it. The day I met you there, I was hoping to convince Neal to tell me where he’d gotten the rubbing from.”

Stark snorted slightly, but handed over the tracing paper that contained the HYDRA logo. He was currently flipping through a 4 inch thick file that had an apparently random string of letters and numbers stamped across the top. 

“You said that someone you know gave this to you, yes?” Steve watched Neal closely until he nodded. “Where is it really from?” 

“A plain wooden box. Nothing interesting about it.” Neal looked slightly squirrely. Steve and Burke narrowed their eyes at him; Neal huffed out a breath and explained that he and Mozzie had found a wooden box when they’d inventoried… something. 

“What sort of something, Neal?” Steve asked. Peter was significantly more blunt when he asked, “Was it the U-boat treasure, Neal?” Neal nodded reluctantly. 

“Tell me everything you can about this wooden box?” Steve asked. 

“That’s just it - it’s a plain wooden box. The only interesting thing about it is that it will not open. It’s got clear hinges and a thumb tab to open it, but it will not open. Well, that and the weird looking octopus with a human skull engraved on the lid.”

“HYDRA.” Steve’s eyes flashed. 

“I know that _now_.” Neal looked slightly chastised. “It doesn’t matter, though. The box has gone missing.”

“What happened?” everyone asked at once. 

“I don’t know. Mozzie doesn’t know. Someone broke in, but they only stole the box. Mozzie is double checking everything against our original inventory, but that appears to be the only thing that was even touched.”

“So, _you_ have a missing treasure that’s worth literal millions and _we_ have a missing box once owned by the founder of HYDRA himself containing who knows what.” Everyone turned to look at Stark. “Did I sum that up properly?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Halbert for coming up with the name of the SHIELD prison. 
> 
> EBUEP - "Emergency Back Up Event Planner" (Stark is trying to be funny)


	15. Chapter 13: They found subjects

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter references events shown in Captain America: Civil War.

Before Peter's team left for London, Steve had Neal give them all he had on the U-boat treasure. Neal admitted that the treasure that Keller had been convicted of stealing was only about half of the total that had been on the submarine. The other half, Neal’s half, had been moved out of the country, and had only been returned a few months ago. Steve noticed a correlation between the uptick in suspected HYDRA activity in New York with the time the treasure returned to the city. He asked Neal where they’d moved the treasure; while Neal wasn’t sure, he thought it was somewhere in Europe. Steve nodded absently, as he checked reports of HYDRA activity from field reports filed by the Black Widow and Hawkeye against places Neal said Mozzie might have moved the treasure. 

Neal left for London knowing that Peter now had the option of having him charged over the remainder of the treasure. After all, it would be the word of a known and convicted thief against that of a respected FBI agent. He left Steve several drawings of the HYDRA box, notes about what it had been found with, and the new link where someone could view the treasure from a webcam. Stark snorted and muttered things about “provenance” as he took the sheets of paper from Neal. JARVIS scanned them into Steve’s files and ran them against all of the files they had on HYDRA, while Steve logged into the system to see the treasure and made a carefully itemized and easily searchable list of the treasure. He created a search string, and had JARVIS run the search against every artwork believed to have been pilfered by either the Nazis or HYDRA, regardless of how substantiated the claims had been. He added a further search query about art stolen by the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union, but coded it so that his second query would be run only if there was art on his list that _wasn’t_ on the list of art which was suspected to have been stolen by the Nazis or HYDRA. 

Several hours after the Stark plane had left LaGuardia for Heathrow, Steve took the subway back to Vinegar Hill and went straight to Bucky’s tattoo parlor. He should have been worried about taking the time off of work, but something told him that Detective Steve Rogers wouldn’t be around much longer, that Captain America would rise again, like a phoenix from the ashes of HYDRA. Steve wanted to get as much time with Bucky, with the Howlies, as he could before that day came. 

Steve wasn’t sure how he’d found Bucky. Scratch that. He knew _how_ he’d found Bucky - a chance meeting at The Greatest Cake - he just wasn’t sure how he’d gotten so lucky. Bucky was a decorated veteran who owned a tattoo parlor in Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn. Steve… In this life, Steve was a detective with the NYPD. Steve had moved in with Bucky in the apartment in Vinegar Hill, which was where he had lived when he was growing up during the Depression, back when it was where the poor Irish immigrants lived, before Brooklyn was gentrified. It was odd to see how Brooklyn had changed, how _hipster_ it had become, and how the more things changed, the more they were like things when he was growing up. There were people riding bicycles down the streets where Steve had once been beaten up in back alleys. There were vintage shops popping up, selling clothing that looked a lot like the clothes Steve had grown up wearing. 

Bucky was special to Steve, as the first person he had loved since he was rescued from the ice. But not the only person. For the first few decades, he’d been working hard at cutting heads off of HYDRA, and then he’d become disillusioned with the world. It had been hard not to become disillusioned, as he had watched everything that he had fought for, that he had died for, wither and die. Wars, like Korea and Vietnam and the Cold War with the Soviets, along with the increasing institutionalized racism in the Southern States and the incredible anti-Catholic sentiment that was still going on, had led to Steve quitting the SSR and SHIELD. Rick Stoner, the director Fury would succeed, had attempted to stop him, but Howard Stark had reminded them that Steve was, to all concerned parties, dead. Unless they wanted to bring Captain America back to life in order to court martial him, they had to let him leave. Once Stoner had been disavowed and imprisoned in The Raft, Fury managed to convince Steve to return to the fold, if only to help them root out HYDRA. And then Howard and Maria Stark died at the hands of the first Black Widow. 

In a meeting with a security clearance level that excluded anyone not already aware that Steve Rogers was still alive, Director Fury, Tony Stark, and Steve Rogers discussed the possibility that someone figured out that he was still alive and wanted to use Howard’s death as an attempt to bring him back into the open. After all, why use a Black Widow, much less _the_ Black Widow, to do a job that any assassin could do? Despite the official story of the brakes failing on the Stark’s car, Steve insisted on seeing the crash site, and the video footage. 

The footage had been painful to watch. The car, driven by Maria, suddenly skids and runs off the road, hitting the very light post the CCTV camera was attached to. In the grainy footage, a dark shape steps up to the car, and checks on the Starks. Maria, Steve would learn, had died upon impact. Howard, however, was dragged from the car and shot execution style. The Black Widow popped the trunk of the vehicle, and removed a cooler. She disappeared a moment later. 

“What was Howard transporting?” Fury had asked. Tony had shaken his head - he didn’t know. Steve had frowned, shaking his head, even as he thought about just how young Tony was. 

“They found subjects,” he had said, before informing Fury and Tony of something that only he, Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter had known previously. Peggy had convinced Steve that they could reverse engineer the serum from his blood, with the right combination of scientists. “All of them were cleared of HYDRA activity, and they had no idea what they were working on,” Steve had said. “One, a Dr. Bruce Banner, might have figured it out, but…”

“What do you mean, ‘they found subjects’?” Tony had asked. Steve had just looked lost, small, and frightfully young as he’d told them what Howard and Peggy had been doing.

“They found subjects for the serum. They were moving to Phase 2 testing of the serum.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story, the Black Widow known as "Dottie Underwood" (from the MCU TV show _Agent Carter_ ), is the first of the Black Widows. Much like the Winter Soldier of MCU canon, she was cryogenically frozen between missions, and is believed to be still active.


	16. Chapter 14: The Avengers Initiative

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers Initiative - a group of of remarkable people

_Nick Fury: Yes. We were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number, though, because I was playing something even riskier_.  
_Nick Fury: There was an idea, Stark knows this, called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of of remarkable people to see if they could become something more. To see if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could_.

In his dreams, Steve could see the team gathered around a table on the Helicarrier Fury denied SHIELD had, looking like they had been run through the wringer, with Fury briefing them on what he called “The Avengers Initiative.” In the dream, Loki and Agent Coulson were nowhere to be seen, and someone called “the Hulk” was missing. In the dream, he was wearing an uncomfortable version of his WWII uniform, and he was holding a vintage set of Captain America Trading Cards. Bloodstained trading cards.

Steve knew what the “Avengers Initiative” was, though he didn’t know why Fury had decided to call them that. Who or what were they Avenging? He would have voted for “Howling Commandos” if he had had any say in the matter. Steve had seen the files, and had advocated for there to be a Strike team and a Support team, unlike Fury’s original idea. It was decided that, when necessary, Steve would lead the Strike team, and Stark would run the Support team as the only member of both teams. 

Steve took a sip of his drink as he flipped back through the files on the table in his room in Stark Tower, wondering where they could have gone so far wrong. The photographs and names of the two teams blurred together as he stared at them. Captain America, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor, Loki, The Black Widow, the Falcon, and a second Agent Carter. Betty Ross, Jane Foster, Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz, and Bruce Banner. 

Steve picked up Tony Stark’s folder, remembering when he had been captured and tortured in Afghanistan. That was after Steve had parted ways with SHIELD, and he blamed himself for letting Stark be captured. He further blamed himself for Stane - Steve had cleared Stane _himself_ of any HYDRA involvement. While he might not have been HYDRA, the man was a greedy bastard, and had shady connections all over the world, connections that should have raised red flags when Steve had cleared him. 

Once Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes had brought him back to the US, Steve went to the deserts of Afghanistan to figure out how he had, as officially stated, escaped. Rhodes had confided to Steve not long after Stark’s return that he and his group had only found him by following what looked like a missile as it fell to Earth. Steve had used what he knew about the Ten Rings to track them to where Tony had been held. Along the way, he found a tail of debris, including something that looked like it was from a suit of armor of some sort. It wasn’t until much later that Steve learned that he had been holding the first iteration of the Iron Man helmet in his hands. After his return to the US, Steve convinced JARVIS to tell him if Stark was building something in the lab and fabrication studio under the Malibu house, after showing JARVIS the faceplate he’d found.

Then Stane had attacked Pepper Potts and SHIELD Agent Coulson, and Stark defended them. At the press conference, Stark had stuck to the SHIELD cover story, that an unnamed bodyguard was in the smaller red and gold suit seen fighting the publicly identified Stane. Stark hadn’t seemed too happy about that, but he agreed with Steve that it was for the best, to keep anyone from HYDRA from realizing that Stark knew how to create the suits. Steve later helped Stark find and create the previously unknown element that Howard had left for him, which would power the arc reactor in his chest, once he had realized that the palladium was not-so-slowly poisoning him. 

It was around that time, when Stark was behaving a bit erratically because of the palladium poisoning, that Natasha Romanov showed up at the Malibu house. She was on her first assignment for SHIELD after the mission in Budapest had blown up in her and Hawkeye’s face, seriously injuring her. As well as undergoing therapy for her injuries, SHIELD’s Black Widow could no longer do undercover assignments, as the bad mission intelligent had caused her to have to blow her cover to complete her mission, and now her face was known. Stark may have known who “Natalie Rushman” was, but was happy to have the best possible person at Pepper’s back. 

According to the reports, Natasha had been born in Russia, and had been quickly recruited by the Black Widow Program. Not much was known about the program, except that it trained young women to be deadly undercover assassins, starting with girls as young as 6. She had been brought in by SHIELD during a sting operation in Paris, Agent Barton disobeying a “kill on sight” order. They had been inseparable ever since. 

Like Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton was also working for Stark Industries. Unlike her, he had not been seriously injured after their mission in Budapest. Steve met him when Clint showed up at Steve’s precinct and handed him a stack of documents. Clint was dressed like a bike messenger, but when Steve had seen that he had a subtle quiver attached to his messenger bag and the purple hearing aid in his right ear, he asked Clint to meet him at a local coffee shop in an hour.

There, Steve and Clint discussed what was happening at Stark Industries. Clint was clearly read in on Steve’s identity, because he addressed him as “Cap” as he left the cafe. Steve used Clint as a courier many times in the following years, when evidence needed to be delivered to the FBI or when he needed to get something to Stark or Potts. 

In the reports, Steve read that Clint was a former circus performer, who had lost most of his hearing during the accident that had ended his circus career. No one was quite sure what had happened, as he had been performing a stunt that he had hundreds of times before. Stark’s best guess was that one of the fireworks had exploded early. SHIELD Occupational Therapy had gotten him to mission readiness within a year of him signing up. He didn’t let being profoundly deaf keep him from being a badass, and was one the most sought after snipers on the SHIELD roster. He and Steve signed to each other, confusing everyone who didn’t speak ASL. 

Steve met the Odinson brothers, Thor and Loki, by accident. He wasn’t supposed to be back from one of his various undercover trips for SHIELD for another day, but he’d flown standby on an earlier flight, planning to do nothing but get a glass of water before falling into his own bed and sleeping for the better part of a day.

Steve had heard of a disturbance in New Mexico, but he hadn’t been asked to go out, unlike Clint, who’d simply smirked when Steve had asked him what had happened. Steve knew that whatever had happened in New Mexico had led to a Dr. Jane Foster being given a Stark Industries Science Initiative Grant to travel to Tromsø, Norway, for her research, but he didn't know any more details. He’d checked out Erik Selvig’s background when he cleared them both. 

What Steve didn’t know was that Thor and Loki had been invited back to Stark Tower, as they weren’t cleared to know about each other. So when Steve stumbled into the common room kitchen on the floor that he had thought was vacant except for him, he’d run into them. Steve’s first thought of “that explains why this kitchen is always kept stocked” was quickly surpassed by his instinctual reaction. Without much thought, Steve pulled one of his knives from his thigh holster and threw it at the intruder in the kitchen, wishing he had his shield. He also called out for JARVIS to raise the alarm. 

The taller blond man had hit the dagger away with practiced ease, and had tried to tackle Steve, who squirmed his way out of the attempted chokehold. The slimmer man with the long dark hair caught the deflected dagger (they had clearly practiced that move) and did _something_ with his other hand, causing a flash of green light. Steve and the other man separated, sliding across the floor before slamming into their respective walls, as Stark came running in, yelling for them to stop whatever they were doing.

It had taken a few minutes for Stark to explain everything, but Steve learned what happened in New Mexico and who the newcomers were. Steve wasn’t completely sure he believed that Thor and Loki Odinson were really aliens from a planet called Asgard, but he was willing to give Stark the benefit of the doubt. The taller blond, Thor Odinson, was the direct heir to the Throne of Asgard. He said that he had been exiled to Earth to learn how to be a better king. Once he had learned his lesson, he returned to Asgard in time to learn that his brother had been kidnapped. 

With the help of Sif and The Warriors Three, Thor tracked his brother and his kidnappers, but not before Asgard learned that Loki Odinson had been adopted. With Asgard in uproar, Loki had fled, Thor at his heels as Sif and The Warriors Three helped them escape to the Bifrost. There, Heimdal sent them to a “safe place” - Tromsø and Jane Foster. Jane had contacted Stark, who arranged for Thor, Loki, Dr. Foster, and Dr. Foster’s assistant Darcy Lewis, to come to the Tower. Unfortunately, Thor and Loki weren’t allowed to leave the Tower; Thor was going stir crazy at being kept indoors, but Loki was happy to have the time to read everything he could about this strange world of Midgard. 

In his dreams, Steve saw how this played out differently. The Avengers fighting an out of control Loki, his eyes glowing electric blue. He saw the team, battered and broken, standing in the rubble of Manhattan. In the dreams, they were fighting aliens. In his dreams, Steve saw a large, purple humanoid, who terrified him. In the dream, he knew who that was, yet he forgot it when he awoke. 

“Falcon” wasn’t necessarily a specific person, as it was the nickname given to the Air Force Pararescue who flew a specific piece of Stark Tech: the Falcon EXO. And by flew, Steve knew that they weren’t pilots, but that they wore a jet powered exoskeleton with wings. Air Force Lieutenant Sam Wilson had decided to keep the moniker - and the suit - when he joined SHIELD as a counselor. Steve hadn’t met him, though he thought Sam seemed like a nice person and another flyer was always a welcome addition to a Strike team like theirs. What the file didn’t say was that Sam Wilson was one of the pair of Pararescue who had rescued Bucky and the Howlies from HYDRA in Iraq. 

As he flipped through the file marked “Agent Carter,” Steve sighed, remembering SSR Agent Peggy Carter. This Carter was Sharon Carter, a former Lieutenant Colonel in the British Army, who was recruited by none-other-than Maria Hill. Steve recognized her, having seen her stand at Fury’s side in meetings. He’d seen her fight, and knew that she would be a valuable addition to the team. It didn’t hurt that she, like her great-aunt, had decked a soldier named Gilmore Hodge. Steve smiled at the memory of Peggy, her hair and lipstick perfect, punching Hodge’s lights out in front of Colonel Phillips.

Steve hadn’t met all of the scientists on the support team, as he stayed out of those levels of Stark Tower. He knew of them, having reviewed their backgrounds when Tony wanted them cleared and moved into the Tower. There were a fair number of them, though Steve was the most familiar with the ones who had been brought in on the Serum project, since he had cleared them. 

Cellular biologist Dr. Elizabeth “Betty” Ross, daughter of General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross, was cleared much quicker than Steve would have thought, given her father’s alleged ties to HYDRA. Dr. Ross clearly wanted nothing to do with her father and his political agenda, which helped Steve clear her for work on the Serum project. 

Astrophysicist Dr. Jane Foster was quickly cleared after Thor’s arrival in New Mexico, as was her mentor, Dr. Erik Selvig. Steve didn’t give them much thought, though, as they had declined an invitation to work at the Tower, saying that Dr. Foster couldn’t do her work on something called an “Einstein-Rosen Bridge.” The file mentioned that the best way to contact her was to contact her assistant, Darcy Lewis. 

Biochemist Dr. Jemma Simmons had come as a set with engineer Dr. Leo Fitz, a genius married couple with no connection to HYDRA. Steve had cleared Dr. Simmons several years before he cleared her husband, as Stark had wanted him to check the clearances on some of the scientists from Howard’s Serum project, which Dr. Fitz had not been a part of. Dr. Simmons had been the youngest member of the project, at just 20 when she joined. 

Dr. Robert “Bruce” Banner was a genius nuclear physicist and biochemist, with a combined seven PhDs. He had some known anger management issues, though he had been in counseling for years before he joined the Serum project. Dr. Banner had stayed on at Stark Industries, moving into their green energy division at the inception. His lab was next to Tony’s, and he was the only person Steve had trusted when they’d needed to build a particle accelerator to create Synthetic Vibranium, the element Howard had discovered. 

Bruce, Steve remembered, was the only scientist on the Serum project to figure out what he was analyzing. Once he was recleared for ties to HYDRA after that revelation, he became one of the handful of people who knew the truth about Steve. He’d admitted that he’s suspected it, as the blood he was analyzing was too fresh to have been drawn in the 1940s. Once they had the Banner Variant of the Erskine Serum created, they needed to come up with an activator. Howard Stark had used Vita-Rays, though no one knew what they really were, not even Tony or Steve. During a meeting, Banner stated that the activator needed to be powerful in its own right, suggesting Gamma Radiation as the best option. 

In his dreams, Steve saw what Gamma radiation did when combined with a bastardized version of the Erskine Serum, though he did not remember it in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter runs concurrent to nothing else, and takes place in the past.


	17. Chapter 15: an important thing in New York

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky does something nice for Neal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this chapter is mostly fluff, the plot for this story does start at the end of this chapter.

After Steve had left for work the next morning, Bucky crawled his way out of bed. He wasn’t an early riser, and Steve had often been at work for well over an hour before Bucky would make his way out of bed. It was Bucky’s day off at the shop, and he planned to use it to surprise Neal when he came back from London. Steve hadn’t told Bucky much about whatever was happening (just that Neal was flying to London and Steve would probably be home late), but Bucky was sure that it involved more than just an NYPD case. 

After getting a late breakfast, Bucky put the folded clothing Neal had left at his apartment into a backpack and took the subway to Neal’s apartment in Manhattan. There, Bucky put the clean clothes on the surprisingly unmade bed, and collected a few other items to take to Neal’s dry cleaners. He was planning on surprising Neal with a few more complete outfits, suspecting that Neal would be spending more nights with them. Bucky knew that Neal did not like going into work without his tie, which happened most nights when he stayed over in Brooklyn. Bucky smiled to himself as he remembered the various stories Steve had told him about Neal, including from the previous day, when Neal flew to London to authenticate some art for Stark. 

Neal had complained to Steve about how everyone knew what he had gotten up to the night before, since he wasn’t wearing his tie. Steve confided to Bucky that Tony and Peter had both commented on Neal’s lack of a tie. Apparently, Neal always made sure to be properly dressed, even when brought into the office in the middle of the night, despite being a consultant, not an agent. Peter seemed too asleep to really figure out the details, but Tony had winked at Neal as he’d handed him the information packet about the art. 

Bucky walked the short distance to Neal’s dry cleaners, remembering Neal telling them about his days as Peter Burke’s CI, where he’d worn a tracking anklet with a two-mile radius. Neal was a creature of habit, and was therefore still using the various places he’d used while confined to his radius. He joked that they were within walking distance, which was an important thing in New York, Bucky knew. He himself went to the closest cafe to his tattoo parlor, even though it wasn’t as good as several places that weren’t quite within walking distance.

Bucky handed Neal’s clothing to the woman at the counter, who seemed to think that Bucky was Neal. Bucky rolled with it; it wasn’t like it was the first time someone had confused them, as they were both tall and thin, with short dark hair and blue eyes. Bucky was older than Neal, but most people didn’t notice that. Nor did they notice the Stark Tech Prosthetic. Bucky had left the dry cleaners and was on his way to the subway station to catch the F train back to Brooklyn, when he was grabbed from behind.

He fought back instinctively, but his attacker put a bag over his head and shoved a Taser in his ribs, causing Bucky to go down like a bag of bricks. He heard a whining noise before he passed out, and hoped being Tazed hadn’t overloaded his prosthetic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place the morning after Neal and Peter's team have left for London; Steve spent the night in Brooklyn, before going back to Manhattan to start his workday before Bucky woke up.


	18. Chapter 16: lavished his right collarbone

The flight to London was tense, with Peter’s team reviewing all of the information SHIELD had given them on both HYDRA and Keller, and Neal reviewing the providence on the art he was authenticating. Neal raised his eyebrows in surprise as he saw that Stark had included the six-digit authentication fee. While it wasn’t unheard of for a flat authentication fee to be in the hundred-thousands, the contract Neal had signed specified that the fee was _per artwork_ , and there were a baker’s dozen for him to authenticate. 

Neal tried to engage Peter in conversation a few times during the flight, but was rebuffed each time. Sighing, he attempted to settle into his comfortable seat, but the turbulence was managing to make him feel slightly ill while also reminding him of his activities with Steve and Bucky the night before. He had a few sore muscles, Bucky’s shirt was rubbing on the love bites they’d left along his collarbone and shoulder, and he had beard burn in places he hadn’t thought possible. 

A few hours into the flight, the FBI agents decided to try to get a little sleep before they landed and had to attempt to find and arrest Matthew Keller. Neal took a moment to himself in the luxuriously appointed airplane bathroom, and used a few of the wipes he always kept in his go bag, as well as a washcloth and a bottle of water in an attempt to clean himself up a bit. In the lighted mirror, he could tell who had left which love bite, as Steve had left beard burn along with his. Bucky had sucked a nice line down his sternum and across his shoulder blade, while Steve had lavished his right collarbone most of the night. He had beard burn on the inside of his thighs, which was rubbing in a very unsexy way against his trousers. At least Bucky always insisted on cleaning up, so Neal didn’t have to deal with dried come on his skin, which was a relief. 

After cleaning himself up, Neal returned to his seat and attempted to find a comfortable enough position in which to sleep. They would be in London in a few hours. The sooner Neal could authenticate the art, the sooner he could get back to New York. The farther away from Keller, the better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a paired chapter and takes place the day before the previous chapter, on the same day when Neal discovered that the box with the HYDRA logo had been stolen.


	19. Chapter 17: confirmed that nothing was missing

After landing in London, Peter and his team were quickly met by the head of Stark Industries London’s security, who briefed them as they were driven to the facility that Keller had broken into earlier that day. Peter had spared a glance at Neal, who was standing and waiting to be met by the other Stark Industries London contact about the artwork he needed to authenticate. Neal looked younger than his years, and appeared to be slightly nauseous. Not many people would have noticed the slight tightness in his eyes, but Peter was used to observing Neal. Neal, who had arrived at Stark Tower with Steve Rogers, wearing the same suit he’d been wearing the day before, but with a different shirt and without his tie. The shirt was not one of Rogers’, but belong to someone who wasn’t Neal, as it was just slightly too large for Neal’s slight frame than his usual shirts, especially at the left cuff. A car pulled up and broke Peter out of his thoughts. They were off.

Several hours later, Peter was even more confused, as there was no apparent sign of Keller, or any evidence that he’d actually stolen anything from Stark Industries London. Stark Security had confirmed that nothing was missing, even from the vaults in the basement, which held various experimental technologies, some of which dated to before Howard Stark’s founding of Stark Industries. Keller had left behind fingerprints and DNA, unlike his previous crime scenes, which had been meticulously clean. It was unlikely that prison had made him sloppy, so perhaps it was something different. 

It took another hour for Diana to find where Keller had gone after he had left Stark Industries London. Thanks to an unnamed MI5 agent who had been assigned to the original break in, they had access to most of London’s famed surveillance network. Keller didn’t seem concerned as he wandered through the National Gallery or while walking around London. He had also used a credit card at a pub not far from the National Gallery, which seemed incredibly obvious, especially for someone of Keller’s calibre. Something was _definitely_ off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a paired chapter and takes place at the same time as the previous chapter.


	20. Chapter 18: Shame to waste one of our candidates

Bucky groaned his way into consciousness in the back of a panel van as it bumped its way down a street. He wasn’t alone in the bed of the van, though his pounding head and fairly strong nausea made him wish he was alone. He took careful breaths, and waited until the two people who had grabbed him noticed that he was awake. It took them longer than he expected, as they were having an argument. It seemed to be about Bucky. 

The taller one was insisting that he was Neal Caffrey, holding up a picture of Steve and Neal at the bakery and pointing first at the photograph of Neal and then at Bucky. The shorter one was sure that he was not Neal. Bucky was convinced that it would get to blows, when the shorter one pointed out the one thing that everyone missed: “Do you not see the fancy Stark Tech prosthesis?” 

The taller one looked around and attempted to figure out what the shorter one meant. He clearly saw the prosthesis, especially since Bucky was bracing himself against the side of the van in an attempt to keep himself from bumping his head over and over again. Bucky’s left hand and arm glinted sliver, as the taller (and clearly dumber) one turned back to the shorter one and said “Looks like you’re right, Brock.” 

The shorter one sighed and muttered something about having to deal with incompetents. In Italian. “It’s Crossbones, Jack. Crossbones. You better hope… Nevermind.” He looked back at Bucky, who was gazing at them with cool eyes. He’d made no attempt to do anything more than settle into a more comfortable position, keeping the distinctive shape of his smartphone hidden under his leg. He wasn’t sure if it was sheer stupidity that they hadn’t confiscated his phone, or if they planned to kill him, since he’d seen their faces. Though, given that only one of them had even _noticed_ the fact that he had a metal arm, he wasn’t thinking too highly of either of their intelligences. 

“Look, we can tell the boss that we got Caffrey,” ‘Jack’ was saying, clearly trying to mitigate whatever he’d done. ‘Brock’ turned back to him. 

“That is not Neal Caffrey,” he said, his voice dangerous.

“Then who is he?” 

“You know, that is the most intelligent thing you’ve said all day…” ‘Brock’ turned back to Bucky, and used the van’s momentum to punch him in the abdomen. Bucky grunted and coughed a few times. “Who are you?” ‘Brock’ demanded. Bucky looked up at him, with the same cool expression from earlier. 

“Barnes, James Buchanan. Sergeant. US Army. 32557038.” Bucky repeated the same phrase a few times, even when ‘Brock’ punched him again. 

“Let’s get him to Strucker, maybe he’ll know who he is and if he’s important to Rogers. Regardless, we can test the Serum on him. Shame to waste one of our candidates, after all.” ‘Brock’ punched Bucky again, and Tazed him for good measure. Bucky thudded to the bed of the van with a crackle of electricity.


	21. Chapter 19: stone clink against metal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mad scientist rambles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-consensual Medical Procedures - a character is kidnapped and experimented on by HYDRA. More details in the end notes.  
> Non-consensual Drug Use - a character is drugged without their consent.

Bucky hated being Tazed with a passion. It hurt like hell and left him feeling tingly all over, like he’d hit his elbow or his foot had fallen asleep. It also made his left arm _hurt_ , which shouldn’t be possible. He groaned his way into consciousness for the second time in an unknown number of hours, although this time he wasn’t in the bay of a panel van. Oh, no this was much worse…

Bucky was strapped to a metal table, restraints keeping him from moving his wrists and legs more than a few millimeters. His left arm was secured three times, once at his wrist, once at his forearm, and once at his upper arm. Whoever had him wasn’t taking any chances. He was also shirtless. He took a moment to look around the room, finding several cameras. There was a long metal lab table along the far wall, with an array of instruments on it. They glinted in the light from the bare bulbs in the industrial-looking light sockets, suspended from the ceiling. 

It looked like the lair of a supervillain, or a Bond villain, Bucky decided after a few minutes. The exposed ductwork in the ceiling and the pipes that ran down the brick walls added to the supervillain aura. Bucky was hooked up to several monitors, the steady, yet out-of-sync, beeping bringing back uncomfortable memories of his injury in Iraq. He was also hooked up to at least three drips, two anchored to a mainline port in his right arm, and the last one attached near his left collarbone. He could tell that one of the drips was simple saline, but he couldn’t tell what the rest of them were. His thoughts seemed a little fuzzy, as if he was just this side of not sober. The realization that one of the drips was probably a sedative or something similar made his heart rate spike and the monitors squeal. The large metal doors opened. 

A man of indeterminate age entered. He was bald but otherwise nondescript, and wearing what looked like a monocle over his right eye. Whatever was in the drip kept Bucky from being able to panic, which was not a comforting thought, considering that the man who had just walked into his room was the same man who had captured him and his unit in Iraq. Bucky never got his name, but he knew he was ruthless and uncompromising. Drs. Smyth and Johnson were _still_ unsure of what he’d done to Bucky’s arm, though they suspected that he’d been attempting to do something with cybernetics to it before his rescue. Whatever they had done had resulted in the arm being amputated at the American forward operating base. 

“When Crossbones admitted that they’d brought me the wrong person, I was curious as to who they _had_ brought me.” The man still had his impeccable German accent, and even looked the same as he had the last time Bucky had seen in him in Iraq, minus the bullet hole between his eyes. Riley had been one hell of a shot for a Falcon. “Then, I saw that you have a metal arm. Stark Tech, even. And I remembered a soldier I’d had the honor of working on… oh, twenty years ago… We were interrupted before I could put HYDRA’s grand plan into action.” 

The man who had tortured Bucky and his unit, who Bucky was positive had been shot between the eyes back in the deserts of Iraq, was doing something to one of the drips in Bucky’s arm. Bucky tried not to panic as the drip was turned up, causing more of the solution to enter his veins. He was aware of everything going on around him, even as he realized that he couldn’t move and could barely speak. 

“What did you give him, boss?” Crossbones asked, his voice fading in and out a bit if he were far away. 

“Something like Ketamine, only stronger. He’s completely aware, but unable do anything about it, not even panic.” He felt something cold rest against his left shoulder, but he wasn’t sure what it was, as he couldn’t quite see it. He felt something cold against his head, as well. 

“What are you doing, boss?” Crossbones asked, though he didn’t sound very curious or interested in what his boss was doing. 

“We don’t know what this is going to do a living person, do we?” The first voice said. There were a few clicking noises, and a generator whined as it cranked to life. “Why should we risk one of our candidates if it’s got such a high probability of killing the subject.”

“Is that why you wanted Caffrey?” Crossbones asked. Bucky wasn’t able to panic, despite learning that whatever they were planning to do to him was likely to kill him.

“Adler, Kramer, and the others blamed him for Kate Moreau’s death. She was a loyal agent. A very loyal agent. We don’t know if Caffrey convinced her to defect, but he had something to do with her death.” There were more sounds of someone getting a machine up and running, before the German-accented voice spoke again. “If Caffrey survived the enserumization, he would be ours. If not, he’d have atoned for his role in her death.” 

“So why test the Serum on him, then?” Crossbones asked. “Isn’t it too valuable to waste on someone like him?” 

“We don’t know what it’s going to do, and we need a test subject. I’ve had the honor of working with Sargent Barnes here; I know he’ll be a good candidate, should the enserumization work.” 

“What are you using that thing for?” Crossbones sounded a little on the nervous side, and Bucky heard his boots as he took a few steps towards the door. 

“This, my dear Crossbones, is what I’m using to power the enserumization process. Howard Stark used Vita-Rays, but even Matthew Keller couldn’t get his hands on them from the basement of Stark London. We don’t know what they were, only that they activated the original Erskine Serum. I’m giving him all the vitamins and minerals in his drips, and using this as a power source.” 

Bucky heard what sounded like stone clink against metal as the mad scientist did something. He felt more cold metal against his chest, and his vision cut out as something metal went over his head. There was the sounds of a scuffle, but he was lost to the pain. The most intense pain he’d ever felt. Metal crashed against metal as Bucky screamed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is restrained, and has several IVs attached to him. One of the IVs is giving him a strong sedative that acts like ketamine. Bucky is still conscious during Strucker's ramblings about HYDRA and the procedure, including how there is a good chance that the enserumization will kill the person who receives it. We learn that Strucker had previously captured and tortured Bucky's unit in Iraq. Nothing is graphic in detail. The chapter ends with the enserumization process starting. 
> 
> Bucky's timeline is intentionally obscured, as he doesn't know what day it is or how much time has passed since he was grabbed off of a street in Manhattan. His timeline will sync with Steve's and Neal's timelines in a later chapter.


	22. Chapter 20: warm enough to melt the last of the ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After spending the day working, Steve returns to his Brooklyn apartment, only to discover that Bucky has not returned from his trip to Neal's apartment in Manhattan and that Neal is still in London.

It was always odd, to return to their apartment and Bucky not to be there. Always. Even if he was just downstairs in 107 Tattoos or on a coffee run, the apartment never felt the same when he wasn’t there. It didn’t feel like home until Bucky was there. On the rare occasion that Neal was in the apartment without Bucky, it still felt more like home than when Steve was alone. It must have been Neal’s warmth, warm enough to melt the last of the ice that Bucky couldn’t. Bucky had been asleep when Steve left for the Tower, though Steve knew that it was his day off. Something felt off, though Steve wasn’t sure what it was. He’d be seriously worried, if it weren’t for the note that Bucky had left on the kitchen table, saying that he’d gone to Neal’s apartment in Manhattan. It wouldn’t be the first (or second) time that Bucky had spent the night there, though Neal had been in the country the previous times. Perhaps Bucky was up to something, something he didn’t want Steve to know about. 

Sighing, Steve made himself dinner from the leftovers in the fridge, watched something on Netflix, and fell into a fitful sleep, with neither of his lovers curled around him. His sleep was plagued with nightmares, nightmares of how his life could have been, if he’d never been found in the Arctic. He never remembered the content of his dreams when he dreamed of this alternate future, but he always remembered that he felt scared, sad, and hopeless. It was not a nice feeling. Usually, Bucky or Neal would wrap themselves around him when he woke from these nightmares, but they weren’t there that night. Finally, Steve arose from the bed, the sun just beginning to peak over the horizon and the sky slowly lightening to a pale pink. 

Steve made himself breakfast and coffee, wondering why Bucky hadn’t texted him. Concerned, Steve tried calling him, again, and used a phone app to track his lovers’ mobiles. Neal’s phone pinged in London, which was unsurprising. Bucky’s phone, though, didn’t ping at all. It was as if his phone was turned off, which Bucky never did. Actively worried, Steve waited for the first Howlie to come to the parlor. Monty was always early, unable to break himself of his habit of rising with the crack of dawn. Since the parlor didn’t open until 10 AM (early for a tattoo parlor), he went for a run before getting a head start on the books and the scheduling calendar. 

Steve asked Monty about Bucky. Surprised, Monty texted the other Howlies, but no one knew where Bucky was, nor were they able to track his phone. Worried, Steve called Tony Stark, who offered to help after he heard Steve’s suspicions. It wouldn’t be the first time HYDRA had gone after someone close to Steve, after all. 

A few hours later, Steve got a call from Neal, who asked what Bucky was up to.


	23. Chapter 21: before he could confess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal returns from London.

“Aren’t you in London?” Steve asked, too worried to be polite. Neal seemed to understand. 

“Just got back. Bucky left a note on my table, saying that he took my clothes to the dry cleaners.”

“So?” 

“Steve, he hates my dry cleaners. Always takes my clothes to one in Brooklyn.” There was a rustling sound, as if Neal was moving some paper around. “There’s also a half-packed suitcase on my bed. Full of my clothes.”

“June finally kicking you out?” Steve asked, distracted. Fury was sending him information on his tablet.

“No. This isn’t her style, either.” 

“You’re right; it’s Bucky’s…” Steve trailed off. “Hey, what’s the name of your dry cleaners, again?” Steve fumbled with the tablet to enter the information as Neal told him. “How fast can you get to the Tower?” 

“15 minutes if I catch the subway right. Why?” There was a noise as Neal did something on his end. 

“Something’s happened. I can feel it.” Steve took a deep breath. “I’m having Nick send someone to June’s. They’ll take you to the Tower. They’ll be there in less than 10 minutes. Don’t argue, Neal. Please.” Steve sounded pained. Neal made assenting noises over the line. 

“Tell them I need coffee,” he said as he made to hang up. 

“No, don’t hang up. I need to speak to the agent who shows up.” Steve took a deep breath, scrubbing his hand over his face as he walked the next several blocks to the rendezvous spot where Barton was waiting for him. He signed a question to Barton, and got a shrug in reply. “Talk to me about London.”

“I was able to authenticate all but one piece. Which is really good, for a 13-piece collection of art that prestigious. Several old masters and several more modern artists that are often forged.” Neal took a deep breath, and Steve thought he heard Neal’s bed creak as he sat down. “Do I need my go bag?” he asked after a few moments. 

“Wouldn’t be a bad idea, though Stark can set you up, if it comes to that.” Steve signed an answer to Clint’s questions as Clint drove. Clint laughed slightly at Neal’s namesign - the “N” for Neal sweeping through the sign for “forgery” or “fraud.” Neal _hated_ his namesign, but wasn’t able to change it, as he had been convicted of bond forgery. He signed a question, asking Clint if he would make sure that there was coffee and other refreshments available once they got to the Tower. Clint nodded, replying that he wanted some more coffee. 

Steve smiled, thanking Clint, as he pulled up the location of Neal’s cell phone, breathing a sigh of relief that Neal was still waiting for the Agents at his apartments. There was a commotion on Neal’s end of the line, and Steve asked to be passed to the agent in charge. 

“Agent Sharon Carter.” The voice had a touch of a British accent. “To whom am I speaking?” 

“Steve Rogers, ma’am,” Steve said, breathing a sigh of relief. He knew Sharon, and knew that she would get Neal safely to the Tower. “Yes, _that_ Steve Rogers.” It wasn’t often that he was able to identify himself on the phone like this, but drastic times call for drastic measures. He needed Sharon to fully trust him, not trust him because Fury trusts him. 

“That explains why Fury sent me to collect this… Neal Caffrey. Must be important to you.” Sharon sounded amused as she collected Neal and led him down to the car idling on the pavement. 

“He is, so try not to shoot him. Or punch him.” Sharon laughed as she handed the phone back to Neal, who immediately started asking Steve questions. Steve told him that he couldn’t answer them until they all got to the Tower, but that he would answer any question he could once they were there. 

“Guess I’ll see you at the Tower?” Neal asked. He sounded small, and much younger than his years. 

“Yeah. Neal, I… I’ll see you there.” Steve hung up the phone before he could confess that he loved Neal as much as he loved Bucky. They couldn’t get to Stark Tower and find Bucky soon enough.


	24. Chapter 22: He knows who I am

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers learn what happened to Bucky.

“Have you found him?” Steve asked as he stepped out of the elevator on the Avengers’ floor of Stark Tower. He noticed that his shield and Thor’s hammer were within reach of the table. There was an Iron Man red briefcase sitting next to the shield, and a loaded quiver resting under a compact bow. Loki was sitting behind a computer, typing rapidly as he listened to Tony rattle off locations of suspected HYDRA bases. 

“Perhaps, yes. Someone fitting his description went to the dry cleaners you mentioned. They dropped off clothes and exited. Turned back in the direction of Caffrey’s apartment.” Loki sounded distracted, his right hand waving in the direction of the map of Manhattan projected on the large screen, before going back to his typing. “Tony and I are attempting to gain access to every security and CCTV camera between the dry cleaners’ and the apartment.” Loki didn’t look up as he rolled his chair to the next computer on the table and started typing just as rapidly on it. He and Stark yelled at the same time, “Got him!” 

Stark hit a button, and the projection changed so that they could watch as the security camera captured Bucky being kidnapped. Someone grabbed him from behind, sliding a bag over his head, while another person shoved a taser into his ribs. Bucky went down between them and he was tossed into an unmarked white van before it took off. 

“Already tracking,” Loki said, anticipating Steve. “I’ll lose him if he goes through any of the tunnels in this blighted city. Who’s that?” He asked, pointing at Neal without looking up from his computer. He slid back to the first one. Steve turned and saw Neal, who was wearing his tie as a blindfold. Clint slid into the room with a tray of coffee in paper cups and two boxes of donuts, and took a seat at the table, next to Natasha. He waved at Steve as Steve stepped up to Neal, unconsciously running his hands across Neal’s shoulders, as if checking him for injuries.

“What did you do?” He asked Sharon. “He knows who I am.” Steve pulled the makeshift blindfold off, and checked Neal’s eyes for evidence that something had happened to him. 

“I didn’t know he was read in, _Cap_ ,” Sharon said, settling in next to Loki. Thor looked up from where he was standing over Loki’s shoulder. He smiled slightly when he saw Neal, though his expression was back to his usual before he spoke. 

“It appears as if this HYDRA is the one responsible for the disappearance of the man for whom we search?” Neal gave Steve a funny look at the unusual phrasing, and Steve murmured that he’d get used to it. 

“That’s right, Point Break.” Tony sounded distracted. “I accessed your notes on the server, Cap. It looks like… Fowler… had property in Manhattan. He owned a warehouse in the Meatpacking district. On the water. Loki, see if you can-” 

“Track the van to the address? Already done.” Loki clicked a few more buttons and the main screen showed the van pulling up to a nondescript warehouse. The same two people hauled an unconscious Bucky inside, his left arm thrown over one of his captors’ shoulder, clearly showing off his identity. “I’ve also downloaded as much footage as this camera has stored, and am already running it through Jahr- facial recognition.”

“Steve, do you recognize that guy?” Tony asked, working his magic on a still image of the kidnappers. 

“Shit. That’s Rumlow,” Steve said, leaning forward to get a better look at the images. “The other guy looks familiar, though.”

“I don’t know who he is, but he’s followed me a few times in the last week.” Everyone turned to look at Neal, who shrugged. “I thought he was looking to hire me. For some of my… alleged… work.” 

“Are you often stalked by people who are looking to hire you to forge something for them?” Steve asked, eyebrows raised. 

“Wouldn’t be the first time.” Neal shrugged. “I can take care of myself.”

“Not against Jack Rollins, you can’t.” Sharon spoke. “He was considered for a… special operations unit I was in charge of during both Gulf Wars. Like Rumlow, he was a little too interested in civilian casualties for the unit.”

“Okay, cards on the table.” Steve looked around the room. “We all need to know what we all know. Everything. I don’t care how ‘classified’ it is. Do you know how ‘classified’ my very existence is?” Steve made eye contact with everyone in the room, before continuing, “Sharon?”

“I was the British Army Liaison for a special operations unit nicknamed the Howling Commandos in the First Gulf War. After they were captured by insurgents and rescued by a Falcon unit, they all took medical discharges. We needed to fill the team. Rumlow and Rollins were at the top of Colonel Phillips’ list. Then they were accused of murdering civilians and courtmartialed. Rumlow was collected by SHIELD, but that was after I’d left the British Army and before I was high enough in SHIELD to know anything. Rollins escaped. Hasn’t been seen since.”

“Who are you guys?” Neal looked shocked that he’d spoken. Across the room, Steve smiled.

“My team. They’re my team.” Steve gestured to Sharon, who waved. “Agent Carter.” Steve went around the room, introducing Nat, Clint, Thor, and Loki, before pausing at Tony, who’s lips tightened. 

“I speak for the pilot of Iron Man suit.” Tony’s lips twisted, as if the words left a nasty taste in his mouth, as if he wasn’t telling the entire truth. 

“Together,” Steve was saying, “we make up the Avengers. It’s a stupid name, I mean, what are we avenging, after all?” 

Neal was nodding, his eyes distant. “Was Kate Moreau HYDRA?” He asked. While to most people it would have been an unexpected leap in logic, Steve was used to Neal’s ability to correctly synthesize information from limited data. With a nod, Steve took a file from the desk next to Tony and flipped through it. 

“We think so, why?”

“I know why this Rollins was following me. I know why Bucky was grabbed. And, I know a way into that warehouse. I’ll just need backup.”


	25. Chapter 23: the standard Marshall’s tracking anklet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal explains what he knows, and the Avengers learn that HYDRA has the Banner-Erskine Serum.

After Neal explained that he was sure that HYDRA was after him and not Bucky, he talked The Avengers through his plan. “I go in, get myself into the room where they’re holding Bucky, you come and get me.”

“How does that work?” Tony asked. Neal smiled as he pulled up his left pant leg. Everyone looked at his sock covered ankle with various looks of confusion. Steve snapped his fingers.

“Your anklet!” He exclaimed. 

“Exactly. Someone fits me with a version of the standard Marshall’s tracking anklet. It’s good to within three meters. If they find it, it’ll squeal like Hell when cut off, and blast where it is to the heavens.” Steve noticed that Neal smoothed out his pant leg with shaking fingers. 

“You’re wearing a wire,” he said. “Everything that happens, we hear. You got that?” He turned back to Tony. “Do they have it?” 

Tony shrugged. “They might. I can’t find any evidence that they have it, or that they don’t have it. If they do, we _cannot_ let them use it. I also think London was a distraction.” Here, he pulled up some of the footage of Peter arresting Keller. Keller looked smug, Peter looked annoyed. 

“If it was, it worked,” Natasha spoke up. “We split up, and someone close to Cap was captured. While we can’t be positive that they wouldn’t have attempted to capture either Caffrey or Barnes without half our team in London, it did weaken us.” Clint nodded, and signed something. 

“Clint says that he thinks they were after something that your father stored at the London facility.” Steve translated. “Something Keller didn’t find. That’s when they captured Bucky.” He turned to Stark. “Any idea what that could be?”

Stark nodded. “Vita-Rays. Or what they were. Or a way to produce them.” He paused. “They have it, then. They wouldn’t have gone after Vita-Rays if they didn’t.”

“What else can you use to activate the Serum?” Steve asked. Neal gasped, but quickly recovered. 

“According to Banner’s notes, anything that’s powerful in its own right. He suggested either Gamma radiation or Extremis, if no one could get their hands on Vita-Rays.”

“Any evidence of either of them at the warehouse?” Sharon asked. Stark shook his head. 

“I’d have to recalibrate a satellite or two for that. I can start the process, but we’re looking at a minimum of 4 hours for linkage and calibration, followed by an unknown period of time for it to actually find the stuff.”

“Start the process. At least we’ll be able to find where they came from.” Steve looked around the room. “We’re going with Neal’s plan. Any objections?” There were none. Steve nodded. “Everyone, suit up.”


	26. Chapter 24: eyes-on confirmation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up: Neal puts himself into a bad headspace in this chapter, to help rescue Bucky (it's not for a long time and he doesn't have a panic attack, but he does have a noticeable physical reaction to the anklet)

It took a lot longer than Steve liked for the Avengers and Neal to get ready to go after HYDRA. Stark had handed over the Stark Industries version of Neal’s former tracking anklet. Though it was thinner and lighter than the original, Neal clearly had some bad memories associated with wearing a tracking anklet, and was having serious trouble with the new one. Neal’s breathing had become a bit labored, his eyes extremely tight, and his expression grimly determined as Steve had snapped the anklet around Neal’s ankle, his clear blue eyes hard as he smoothed out his pant leg with shaking hands. Even with those skinny suits, the anklet was completely hidden. 

“You remember the plan?” Steve asked, his hands on Neal’s shoulders and his voice soft. “You need to get caught and brought to whoever has Bucky.” Neal nodded, eyes closed as he mentally worked his way through the blueprints Loki had uncovered. The warehouse itself was a cover for the underground construction that had been done, creating a rabbit’s den of hallways and laboratories. Neal had to get into the underground bunker, and from there into the main laboratory, identified by Tony from the schematics. There had been energy spikes from the warehouse, which worried everyone, but especially Steve, who remembered Howard Stark’s quip about blowing out half the lights in Brooklyn just before he’d started the procedure on Steve. 

It had taken a while to decide which SHIELD Agents would join the Avengers at the warehouse in Manhattan, and how they would get there. Steve took the time to change into his dark blue tactical suit, and check Neal for any bumps and bruises he’d sustained in London. It turned out that Tony had what looked like a municipal utility van, so the Avengers who had gear that they needed to transport drove in that to the street across from the warehouse, and set it up. Steve and Neal rode in the backseat of a basic black sedan driven by Sharon. Tony and Wilson flew to the warehouse, and Clint was already on a rooftop before Steve got there. Loki’s voice came through the communications device clearly, from his position at the Tower. Unlike Thor Odinson, Loki Odinson wasn’t the “rush into the action” type, and preferred to be on the handler side of things. If the Avengers decided that they needed his powers, he would teleport to them.

Steve opened the car door and slid out to allow Neal to exit the car. The leaned against each other for a few moments, before Sharon broke the moment by testing Neal’s wire. Neal smiled wryly, and stepped away from Steve. 

“Remember, codenames only once you get into the warehouse,” Steve said, hands checking the placement of the wire against Neal’s chest by running his hands down his shirt. “Once you have eyes-on confirmation of where Bucky is, you call out. Loki and Tony both have you on their devices, and they can push your location to anyone of us. Thor’s our heaviest hitter, so he’s on point for you. Any questions?”

“Is it too late to go to the bathroom?” Neal asked. Steve gave him a puzzled look as Tony groaned into the comms. “I’m not serious, Cap.” With a nod and a “ma’am” to Sharon, Neal headed off to the warehouse. Hawkeye, up on a rooftop, saw him crouch down at a door, pull a small leather case from his inside jacket pocket, and pick the lock within seconds. He was in.


	27. Chapter 25: Who are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avengers rescue Bucky; Neal is put into danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that a character is hooked up to the enserumization process.

The rest of the op was a blur to Steve. Neal kept up a steady chatter through his wire until he was in a position where he couldn’t any longer. Loki kept everyone updated on his location, one of his spell tokens clinking in his hand as he watched and waited. Hawkeye kept a special arrow trained on the dot that was Neal on his scope, ready to send the heavy-duty Stark Tech arrow through the metal walls of the warehouse and into Strucker. There was a triangulating tracking chip in the fletchings of the arrow, which would allow Thor to send down a lightning blast. They were taking no chances, as Loki had uncovered that Riley had reported an unquestionable kill shot on the man in Iraq, a report seconded by Sam, who had seen the entire thing. 

The sound of metal on metal crackled through Neal’s wire, followed by voices asking who he was and what he was doing in the warehouse. Neal’s response was muffled, but the new voices said that they’d take him to Strucker. Steve could see the situation playing out in his head, Neal’s slight smile and the armed goons dragging him off to where Strucker was experimenting on Bucky. He wished they’d been willing to risk putting a lapel camera on Neal, but Stark was convinced that even the idiots HYDRA hired could identify one of those. He could see the contraption Strucker was using, pulled from images that Stark had from his father’s enserumization experiments, Banner’s sketches of how he would modernize the original serum chamber, and some hasty sketches of the torture room where the Howlies were in Iraq. He could see the table Bucky was strapped to, and added manacles hanging from the ceiling, adding to feeling of the room. He could see Strucker leaning over Bucky, doing something to start the enserumization process, though he didn’t know what that kick-starter would be. 

What he didn’t know was that there was a second serum table, one that Neal was being strapped down to. The enserumization process had already been started on Bucky, who could be heard screaming through the wire. There was a harsh squeal of feedback, just as Neal started talking, rambling, getting the Avengers as much information as he could. Strucker seemed to think it was a result of one of the drips Neal mentioned, as he let Neal keep talking, and even let him describe whatever was powering the process, “a glowing blue gem of sorts.” Thor made a sound of disbelief, before Loki spoke up, identifying the gem as the housing for the Mind Stone. He cautioned the on-site Avengers to avoid destroying it, and to call him if they needed it contained. 

As Bucky’s screams died down, Neal’s began, and Steve gave the order to storm the warehouse. Clint let his arrow fly, and Steve wished he could have been in the room to see the look on Strucker’s face as the arrow appeared out of the back of his chest. He could hear Loki telling Thor to “go for the head” just as lightning crackled from the heavens as Thor dropped into the warehouse from the roof. 

Steve didn’t remember throwing the shield to Sharon as he ran into the facility, relying on his skills to get himself to Bucky’s side. He didn’t remember tearing the manacles off Bucky, pulling the drips out without a care, or destroying the housing containing the power station for the Mind Stone. 

He didn’t remember Loki appearing in a blast of green fire, taking the Mind Stone from his hands, and popping it into one of his portable dimensions before sending a small amount of green fire through Bucky, drawing a vial of quickly pocketed blood, healing the injection spots, and checking him for injuries other than the obvious. He didn’t remember Loki rattling off Bucky’s vitals, only that they appeared to be stabilizing, his dangerously high blood pressure lowering slowly and his heart rate slowing. Neither was dropping dangerously quickly, so Loki tentatively cleared him of going into serious shock, but said that he needed to be looked at by a real doctor, preferably a serum expert and preferably at the Tower. He also pulled a green shirt from one of his pocket dimensions, helping Bucky pull it on. 

Once they were sure that Bucky was no longer in danger, Steve snapped the manacles off of Neal’s ankles and wrists. Neal’s shirt was bloodied and torn, but he could at least walk down a street in New York without attracting too much attention. Loki carefully pulled the drips out, before using his magic to pop the IV bags and the tracking anklet into other pocket dimensions. He gave Neal a cursory examination, before drawing a vial of his blood, too. It was around that time that Steve realized Bucky was staring at him. In the updated, though subdued, version of his Captain America uniform, minus the famous shield. 

“Who are you?” Bucky asked as he slid into a sitting position, his eyes a strangely bright blue, the blue fading as he spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Neal Caffrey is (intentionally) captured and is hooked up to the enserumization process. The process is not graphic in nature, as it is from Steve's perspective, and Steve is not in the room. Both Neal and Bucky can be heard screaming on the Avengers' comms, via the wire Neal is wearing, throughout the chapter.


	28. Chapter 26: Like I just mainlined straight shots of espresso

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky has a bad reaction to the Banner-Erskine Serum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dubious Consent - a character is dosed with, for lack of a better word, sex pollen. Please see the end notes for more information

“Let’s deal with introductions and explanations once we get him back to the Tower?” Sharon asked as she entered the room, holding Steve’s shield on her left arm. It didn’t match her matte black tactical suit, but she looked authoritative holding it. Bucky nodded, hands sliding oddly up Loki’s arm. Loki frowned and sent another line of green fire against him. Nodding, Loki slid his arm out of Bucky’s grasp and walked over to whisper something in Steve’s ear. Steve blushed crimson. 

“What’s going on?” Neal asked, slowing standing from the table. He winced slightly as he rubbed at his wrists, and Steve could see that his hands were badly shaking. 

“It seems like Mr. Barnes is having an unusual reaction to the Serum. One you are not having.” Loki nodded at Bucky, who was attempting to kiss the back of Steve’s cowl-covered neck. “I suggest you take Mr. Barnes to a safe location, and let the after-effects burn themselves out. He should be back to normal in about an hour.” Steve nodded, heaved Bucky into a fireman’s hold, and started to leave the lab. Neal slowly followed, calling out to Steve as he did. 

“If he’s having the reaction it looks like he’s having, you won’t get him back to Brooklyn without public indecency charges,” Neal said. Steve glared at him. “Look, as fate would have it, this warehouse is within my former two-mile radius. Let’s go to my apartment - I have all the supplies you’ll need and June is discrete. You and Bucky can… do whatever he needs.” Neal looked like he was trying to suppress some serious emotions, and his hands were still shaking. His whole body appeared to be buzzing, as well. 

Steve shook his head, willing himself not to react as Bucky giggled and grabbed his ass. “Get us a cab to June’s?” he asked Neal, who nodded and pulled out his phone, proving that the idiots contracted by HYDRA really were as dumb as they looked. He used an app to order a cab, and they only waited a few minutes before the Uber driver appeared. Steve loaded Bucky into the back seat as Neal slid into the front seat. 

“My friend’s had a bit too much of something today; needs to sleep it off,” Neal explained as he put on his seatbelt. Bucky didn’t move as Steve clicked his on, and seemed rather calm. The ride didn’t take that long, and Neal went through the payment and tipping process on his phone as Steve hauled the unresisting Bucky up to Neal’s top floor apartment. Neal joined them at a run, his hands wrapping around Bucky’s waist as he did.

“I never got to ask how you were feeling?” Steve asked as he started stripping out of his uniform. Bucky whined and groped Neal’s ass. 

“Like I just mainlined straight shots of espresso for an hour, but I’m otherwise fine.” Neal’s voice rose on the last word as Bucky sucked on the side of his neck and cupped him through his slacks. “I think I’ll be better once I burn off some of this excess energy.” At Steve’s nod, Neal got his hands on Bucky, turning around to make out with him as they moved towards the couch. Steve pulled out a chair and started unlacing his boots. It was slow going as he was distracted by the gasps and moans coming from Neal and Bucky on the couch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Dubious Consent** \- Bucky reacts to the Banner-Erskine Serum as it were sex pollen. This is brought up and discussed in later chapters.


	29. Chapter 27: missing most of its buttons

By the time Steve got himself down to his undershirt and underwear, Neal was on top of Bucky, and was grinding down on him. They were still wearing their slacks, though Neal’s shirt was missing most of its buttons, as if Bucky had ripped them off, like he had the wire that Neal had been wearing. Steve watched as Bucky’s eyes rolled back in pleasure and his head lolled against the sofa. Neal smiled down at him, eyes slightly distant as he concentrated on something. Steve stepped over to the sofa, and looked down at them. 

“I remember that I felt as wrecked as he looks when I stepped out of the Serum chamber, back when I was enserumized,” he said, running his hands along Neal’s chest and pulling off the remainder of his shirt. “If it hadn’t been for the assassin, I would have needed some serious alone time.” Neal groaned appreciatively as Steve ran his hands down his chest, before Steve focused his efforts on getting Bucky down to his underwear. 

Steve lifted Bucky up enough, changing the angle of the clothed frottage he was doing with Neal, before sliding his button up shirt off. It was a rich dark green and had a silky feel to it. Steve put it carefully on the coffee table, planning to get it back to Loki once they returned to the Tower for the official debrief. Neal made a cut-off sound, and Steve returned his attention to Neal. Neal’s entire body was shaking, not-so-fine shivers working their way down his spine. Bucky bucked hard under Neal, almost unseating him. Neal threw an arm out, grabbing Steve’s shoulder tightly to keep his balance. His hands were trembling enough that his normally strong grip was weak against Steve’s shoulder. 

“Let’s get him onto a real bed. I doubt it’s comfortable fucking on the couch.” Steve helped stabilize Neal as he stood, chest heaving with his deep breaths. He slowed his breathing slightly, before smirking at Steve. 

“It’s not the least comfortable place I’ve been fucked, to be honest.” With that comment, Neal dropped his trousers as he walked to his bed. As Steve got Bucky off the couch and out of his jeans, Neal pulled various condoms and lube from his bedside table. He looked back at Bucky, who had wrapped his legs around Steve’s waist and was grinding against him while sloppily making out as if he was drunk, and pulled a vibrating dildo out of his “personal supplies” drawer. It was time to see if Cap’s famed stamina could match the newly enserumed Bucky.


	30. Chapter 28: He’d learned a lot about himself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal and Steve help Bucky burn off the effects of the Serum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- blink and you'll miss it reference to past bondage-play.   
> \- sex pollen is brought up; Neal expresses disbelief.

Steve’s stamina was the best Neal had ever experienced, Neal knew that. And he’d had his fair share of lovers, male and female, of various levels of ability and stamina. He’d learned his kinks and preferences through trial and error, and learned the hard way that the only handcuffs or restraints he couldn’t get out of quickly were part of bondage play. He’d learned a lot about himself during his various experiments, which is why he had no reservations about getting dragged into whatever was happening to Bucky.

With his hands still shaking from the after-effects of the serum running through his veins, Neal made sure he had everything he thought they would need to work whatever this was out of Bucky’s system. He remembered the tall, pale, brunet - Loki? - whispering something to Steve, shortly before they left the warehouse. 

“Steve?” Neal asked, “What did he say to you? The tall brunet?” Steve looked up from where he was sucking love bites into Bucky’s shoulder, and murmured something against his skin. Bucky smirked, and ground against Steve again. 

“Uh, I think he said something about how Bucky was reacting to the serum as if it were something called ‘sex pollen’?” Steve pulled away from Bucky long enough to push Bucky onto the bed. Bucky looked up at them with nothing but heat in his eyes. 

“I thought SHIELD was joking about that…” Neal muttered, settling on the bed next to Bucky, who promptly rolled on top of him, knees bracketing Neal on the bed. He whined as he ground down against Neal. 

Neal gripped Bucky’s waist with his hands, marveling at how much stronger Bucky seemed. He took a deep breath and flipped them over, landing so he was bracketing Bucky on the bed. Bucky relaxed under him, as if Neal’s weight was helping ground him. He looked up and murmured, “Neal?”

“Yeah, Bucky. How’re you feeling?” Neal kept his body against Bucky’s, feeling Bucky’s dick hard against his thigh. 

“Drunk. Horny as hell.” Bucky paused, and thrust up against Neal’s thigh with a moan. “What happened?”

“We’re not sure yet,” Steve said, joining them on Neal’s bed. It wasn’t quite big enough for all three of them, so he barely fit. Neal glared at him, and rocked gently against Bucky, giving him some relief, as Steve asked Bucky what he remembered.

“I was Tazed?” Bucky asked, continuing to thrust against Neal’s leg. “That doesn’t make me horny, though. And I don’t remember getting drunk.” Bucky smiled slightly. “I’m liking this, though.”

“You were given something by the assholes who Tazed you,” Neal ground out, reaching over to swat at Steve. “Must have been an aphrodisiac or something. You liking this?” Neal punctuated his question with a thrust against Bucky’s dick. 

“I’d like it more if one of you would fucking fuck me already,” Bucky growled, bucking his hips against Neal’s. Neal made a slight sound, close to a whimper, and slid down Bucky’s body. 

“I can do that,” he said, hands sliding under the blankets to find the several strips of condoms he’d grabbed earlier. “Steve.” With that, Neal rolled the condom onto Bucky’s dick and swallowed him down. Bucky moaned, head lolling against the headboard as his hands came up to Neal’s hair. He remembered not to pull or attempt to guide, just to let Neal attempt to suck his brains out via his dick.


	31. Chapter 29: his lips slightly swollen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal and Steve help Bucky burn off the effects of the Serum, part 2.

It never took long for Bucky to come, not with Neal’s tongue on his dick, even through latex, as Neal was _quite talented_ with his mouth. With the whatever it was pumping through his veins, it took even less time. 

While Neal was going to town on his dick, Steve leaned over and started making out with him. Steve kissed as though every kiss was his last, deep and passionate. His lips were soft and gentle against Bucky’s, a perfect counterpoint to Neal’s mouth on his dick. Between their joint efforts, Bucky came, loudly moaning into Steve’s mouth and doing his best not to thrust up into Neal’s. 

Neal pulled off with a smirk, his lips slightly swollen from his efforts. His voice was a little raspy as he asked Bucky how he felt. 

“Horny.” He paused slightly, thinking about things. “Yeah, that’s it.” Steve quickly disposed of the condom, noting that Bucky was still hard. “I feel… I feel like I _need_ something. No idea what, though.” 

Neal had a look of extreme concentration on his face, as though he was trying to do complex math problems in his head. After a few moments, he blinked and asked Bucky, “What would you think if you fucked me while Steve keeps making out with you? Does that sound good?” 

Bucky nodded, unconsciously thrusting his hips and whimpering slightly. “It would be better if one of you would fuck me, you know.”

“Would this work?” Neal asked, pulling his hands out from where he had been feeling for something and holding up the vibrating dildo and a bottle of lube. Bucky nodded excitedly, spreading his legs as far as he could and tilting his hips. Neal rolled another condom on Bucky’s dick as he slid down the bed. 

“You do the honors with the toy, Steve?” Neal asked, tossing Steve a bottle of lube before picking up another one and squeezing some onto his fingers. Bucky groaned, realizing that he had to watch Neal prep himself. The groan turned into a pleasurable moan when Steve planted a kiss on the tip of his dick and then rolled him over to start prepping him. With a glance at Neal, Steve shoved a pillow under Bucky’s hips and started prepping him. Bucky thrust against the pillow and rocked back against Steve, who worked him open quickly, and then used his large, calloused fingers to find just the right spot to drive Bucky nuts. Bucky came a second time from Steve’s fingers, rocking against the pillow and spilling into the thoughtfully applied condom. Steve kept crooking his fingers exactly where Bucky wanted them, making high-pitched noises as he rocked his way through the aftershocks. He moaned as Steve pulled his fingers out and again as he felt the dildo against his ass. With sure, gentle movements, Steve pushed it in and shifted it until Bucky’s hips stuttered and he screamed into another of Neal’s pillows. 

Steve helped him roll over and applied his lips straight to Bucky’s mouth, swallowing every sound Bucky made as the dildo hit all his pleasure spots. Neal handed Steve something small as he disposed of the condom and rolled another one down Bucky’s dick. He smirked at Bucky, and pulled Steve away. They made out, hands roaming over each other, as Bucky rocked his hips and thrust up against both of them. 

“Just so you know, it vibrates,” Neal said, nodding to the small electronic device in Steve’s hand, as he readed himself. He ran his lube-slicked hand up Bucky’s dick a few time, making him keen and rock his hips, before lowering himself onto Bucky’s dick. Steve held Bucky’s hips, keeping him from thrusting up. When Neal nodded that he was ready, Steve released Bucky’s hips and let Neal ride Bucky as hard as he wanted to. 

Steve caught Bucky’s mouth with his and they sloppily made out, Steve’s right hand wandering everywhere on Bucky’s body. Bucky rested his right hand on Neal’s hips, guiding as much as he could, while his left hand fumbled with Steve’s underwear. With a “tsk”, Steve pushed Bucky’s hand away and hit a button on the controller. Bucky’s back arched as the dildo he was grinding against started vibrating. Neal moaned as Bucky’s dick found the perfect spot. Steve played with the vibration setting for a few moments, taking note of how Bucky reacted, before finding the best setting and returning to his plundering of Bucky’s mouth. He could tell when Bucky came, spilling himself into the condom, based on the stutter of his hips, which caused Neal to slow down. 

Neal’s dick was hard and leaking slightly, and he was clearly _close_ , based on how he kept twitching his hips. Bucky pulled his left hand away from Steve’s hips, and wrapped it around Neal’s dick. Neal moaned and thrust a handful of times before coming, spilling into his own condom, and almost collapsing against Bucky.

“Better?” Neal asked as he slid off and let Steve pull the condoms off. 

“Better.” Bucky agreed. “Though I feel like that time Steve got a work call while blowing me.” He glared at Steve, who chuckled. 

“That happened to you, too?” Neal asked, grinning, as he rolled another condom down Bucky’s dick. “Want Steve to fuck you? Or ride you like I did? And then fuck you?” When Bucky ground down on the dildo, closing his eyes and moaning in response, Neal added, “or do you want to ride that dildo until you come?” 

“Steve.” Bucky opened his eyes. “Steve can ride me and then he can fuck me. If I’m still horny as fuck, I can ride this dildo until I burn off the aphrodisiac.” Bucky ground down on the dildo as he spoke, and groaned appreciatively, eyes fluttering shut. 

Neal and Steve traded places, Neal settling in against Bucky’s side and playing with his nipples as they leisurely made out while Steve prepped himself. Neal’s hands roamed over every part of Bucky he could reach, and Bucky got his hands all over Neal, taking extra care to hit Neal’s sensitive spots with his left hand. It didn’t take long before Steve was ready, and Neal helped guide him down onto Bucky’s dick. Steve took a moment to ready himself, and then rode Bucky as hard as he wanted to. He wasn’t riding him as hard as Neal would, but he was just as effective.


	32. Chapter 30: the other half of each other’s soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neal reflects on his relationship with Steve and Bucky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, and the three following, has a tissue warning. This chapter is Neal's perspective on his relationship with Steve and Bucky, and next three deal with Steve and Bucky learning how _Neal_ views their relationship, as it is different from how they view their relationship with Neal. The most important thing to remember when reading this chapter, and the ones to follow, is that _Only In Your Blood_ has a happy ending.

It didn’t take Bucky long to come, not for his fourth orgasm, nor did it take long for Steve to come, since he’d been getting worked up for a while. Bucky was still hard when Steve slid off, and the look he gave Steve was… Cherished. Loved. Adored. Any number of words Neal was good at faking but bad at recognizing in himself. Watching them, it didn’t take Neal long to start overthinking, seeing Steve hold Bucky with a carefulness, a tenderness, he rarely showed the former soldier. 

Neal knew how much Steve adored Bucky. “Steve and Neal” had never been more than “friends with benefits,” at best, and there had been no second thoughts when Steve met Bucky in Neal’s bakery. Steve might have found Neal fun, might have enjoyed the irony of a cop fucking an ex-con, but Bucky… Bucky was like coming home. If Plato was right about the soul being two halves, then Bucky was the second half of Steve’s soul. 

Neal had seen that the moment they’d laid eyes on each other, the cop and the veteran. They’d flirted up a storm, barely saying anything to Neal at all. Less than two weeks later, Steve told Neal that they were done, that he was with Bucky. It had hurt, more than Neal could admit, Steve’s coldness to Neal, as if their friendship was meaningless. 

Out of something that Neal secretly hoped was deference instead of just coincidence, Steve and Bucky were never at the bakery together. Neal was strictly professional when Steve came by to ask him for information about art forgeries and and other white collar crime, and Bucky occasionally took the subway from Brooklyn to buy breakfast for his crew at the tattoo parlor he owned. 

Bucky had always been nice to Neal, friendly even, as they chatted while Neal prepared his various orders, even before he’d met Steve. The day Bucky had caught him with his sketchbook, his drawing of a nude Steve hastily covered up by flipping the pages around, they’d talked about art, and how Bucky’s line artist hated designing original abstract line art. While they hadn’t talked about Neal’s previous life as a conman, Neal had offered to give Bucky some samples to show his artists. 

Time passed, though Neal wasn’t sure how much. Long enough for Steve’s first tattoos to heal completely - Bucky had started at Steve’s left wrist, the color peeking out from under the cuff of his button up shirt. Time could be measured in trips to Brooklyn, though it took a few trips for Neal to be invited to dinner with the Howlies. He always declined, taking the subway back to Manhattan and his empty apartment, until Steve cornered him one day. 

It was late, and Neal wasn’t watching where he was going with quite enough awareness, as it was a nice neighborhood. He’d dropped his guard once he’d entered June’s house, keys jingling in his hands as his shoulders slumped as he dropped the mask he wore at the bakery, at the tattoo parlor. The mask that said that nothing was wrong, that nothing was hurting. It was the mask he’d worn when the plane blew up and the mask he work when attempting his own investigation into Kate’s death, the mask that hid everything but the way his hands shook. He’d walked up the stairs to his apartment, locked the door, took of his coat, and poured himself a glass of red wine before he’d noticed Steve, who was sitting in one of the chairs at his kitchen table. 

“Why do you never stay for dinner in Brooklyn?” Steve had asked, not looking up from the sketchbook he was holding. “Do you really hate me that much?”

Neal had almost dropped his wine in shock, coughing as he inhaled his first swallow. He’d swung around, taking in everything and realizing that Steve was holding one of his sketchbooks. The one with the speculative nudes of Bucky and the not-so-speculative nudes of Steve, Peter, and Elizabeth. 

“I don’t hate you Steve,” Neal remembers himself saying, his voice raspy from his attempt to breathe in his wine. “I could never hate you.” 

Neal remembered gesturing to the sketchbook, and telling Steve to flip through it. He remembered Steve finding the nudes, but not Steve’s reaction to them. He remembered Steve kissing him soundly on his way out. He remembered _Bucky_ being the one to invite him into their bed, and he remembered their first night together, the awkwardness of trying to make out with both of them at the same time. And learning that they didn’t want it to be a one-off. He remembered watching the ink on Steve’s arm grow as Bucky added to it. 

And it helped, for a bit, the nights together with them. They helped dull the pain of Steve’s coldness, of Steve’s never realizing that Neal always fell hard, and fell fast. It took months, but Neal began to feel less like a third wheel and more like a part of their relationship. More months passed, and while Neal had more than a toothbrush and a sketchbook at Bucky’s apartment, he never felt like he was part of their relationship enough to ask about his future with them. It was so tentative, so dependant on Steve’s changeable whims, that he didn’t feel like it was his place to ask. 

Then HYDRA started killing people in New York, and Bucky was captured. And dosed with _something_ that was causing him to react as if he had been dosed with something Loki had called sex pollen. And even though he was almost literally in the middle of the situation, he felt even less like he belonged. They were perfect for each other. They were the other half of each other’s soul. Neal knew this. And he knew what he had to do. 

Neal’s furtive attempts to slide off the bed, _his_ bed, were stopped when Bucky grabbed his wrist. Bucky’s blue eyes were worried. His grip was strong, firm, but gentle. He studied Neal for a moment, before asking, “just where do you think you’re going?”


	33. Chapter 31: however long you want

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Bucky learn how Neal views their relationship; Bucky takes matters into his own hands.

“Uh,” Neal said, trying to come up with something to say. He flushed crimson, his blush extending from the tips of his ears all the way down his chest. “I… I, uh… bathroom?” Neal attempted to slide further out of the bed. 

“Come here,” Bucky said, pulling slightly on Neal’s wrist, causing him to tumble into them. Steve reached a hand out and gripped Neal’s shoulder, keeping him against them. Eyes wide, Neal studied them, taking in everything. 

“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Bucky asked, releasing Neal’s wrist and pressing his left hand to his waist. His fingers drew strangely soothing circles against his hip bones, as if Bucky wanted him to relax. “Something bothering you?” Steve settled back on Bucky’s legs after disposing of the condoms, and did something, causing the slight furrow in Bucky’s brow to smooth out. 

“It’s nothing serious,” Neal said, trying to avoid squirming under the intense scrutiny Bucky and Steve were both giving him. Steve raised an inquisitive eyebrow and Bucky frowned slightly. 

“You’re surreptitiously attempting to slide off of your own bed, Neal,” Bucky said. “That’s definitely ‘something serious’.” Bucky squeezed Neal’s hip gently, and Steve gave his shoulder a brief shake. 

“I… I’m… I’ll figure it out later,” Neal said, with a slight smile. “When you’re, you know, feeling better.”

“You mean when we’re not all naked together?” Bucky asked. At Neal’s hesitant nod, he glanced at Steve, who shrugged, and then looked back at Neal. “I’d believe you if you weren’t trying to slip out from between us, Neal.”

Neal looked hesitant, though Bucky’s blue-gray eyes were judgement-free and Steve was a warm and comforting weight. He took a deep breath, then sighed. “I feel like I’m getting between you two. And not in the fun way.” Neal leaned back slightly, but didn’t push at the hands against his skin. 

Bucky turned his gaze on Steve, eyes narrowing slightly. “Did you never tell him?” Bucky asked. He tightened his grip on Neal’s hip by sliding his arm around Neal’s waist, as if afraid Neal was going to try to bolt. 

“Tell him what, exactly?” Steve asked. He sounded unconcerned, but he did tighten his grip on Neal’s shoulder.

“That he’s not getting between us. That we _like_ him between us?” Bucky was clearly trying to tell Steve something. Steve frowned slightly, before shaking his head. 

“I… I thought you were going to tell him?” Steve attempted. Bucky rolled his eyes and used his right hand to smack the back of Steve’s head. 

“Why do these things always happen when I’m naked?” Bucky asked, as he turned back to face Neal, whose eyes were wide and his face pale. “No. You’re not in our way. You’re not coming between us. We want you right where you are, in our lives, in our beds.” Bucky reached up and gripped Neal’s chin with his right hand, looking him straight in the eye. “You, if you want, are invited to stay with us, however you want, however long you want. You understand?”

“I’m not in the way?” Neal asked, his eyes bright and full of liquid. Bucky shook his head.

“I was wondering why… ah, well… Stevie sucks at communication.” Bucky didn’t move his hands to swat at Steve again, but continued to look Neal dead in the eyes. “We… We are dating you. We want you. We want you in our apartment, the one in Brooklyn over my shop. We want you in our lives.”

“Are you asking me to move in with you?” Neal asked, sounding bewildered. 

“Yes.” Bucky punctuated his single word reply with a kiss to Neal’s lips. “I’d been wondering why you hadn’t brought anything of importance to the apartment, or why you never talked about a future with us.” Bucky placed another kiss on Neal’s lips, and Neal responded, almost hungrily. “Now, you are going to go and take a minute or two in the bathroom to think about your answer, while I give Stevie here my thoughts on his communication abilities.” Bucky kept eye contact until Neal nodded, and only then did he let him slide off the bed. Neal closed the door to the bathroom, as he heard Bucky start to verbally flay Steve. It would be a very quiet discussion, Neal knew. 

He took a few minutes to steady himself, breathing deeply, his hands on the sink and his head down, before he washed his face, studying his reflection in the mirror. His face stared back at him, paler than usual. He tried on his charming smile, but couldn’t make it stick. 

There was a knock on the bathroom door, and Neal opened it to see Bucky, standing there with a hopeful look on his face. 

“Yes,” Neal said, following Bucky back to the bed. “Yes.” No other words were needed. 

“Good.” Bucky settled Neal against the bed. “Maybe you’ll let me ink a design on you next? You’ve always been so hesitant about it,” he asked as he leaned in to kiss Neal.


	34. Chapter 32: it broke my heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Bucky, and Neal discuss their relationship; Neal learns the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky discusses how he felt while under the influence of the Serum.

“Are you sure you’re… okay with everything?” Neal asked, still hesitant, even as Bucky slid onto the bed and let Steve arrange him against the headboard. Steve pressed a kiss to Neal’s forehead, before sucking the beginning of a love bite against his right collarbone, his beard scratching against his chest. Bucky kneeled down on the bed next to them, sliding his arm behind Neal’s back, pulling him against him with a smile. 

“Are you asking about whatever I was injected with?” At Neal’s nod, Bucky smiled, pressing a kiss to the corner of Neal’s mouth. “I felt like I was drunk, very drunk. And, as you know, I’m a pretty handsy drunk.”

Neal nodded, his body still tense under Steve’s hands, though he was relaxing, bit by bit. He seemed to be trembling, shaking a bit due to the stress of the emotional whiplash he’d just been through. 

“You probably thought I was under a compulsion, right? That the drug I was injected with left me unaware of my situation?” Bucky asked, keeping eye contact with Neal.

“That’s what Lo… that’s what he said.” Neal seemed hesitant.

“Loki implied it was a compulsion,” Steve said, pulling away from Neal’s skin with a lingering kiss. “He’s very good at saying one thing, but implying something else. It makes him our best resource for understanding legalese documents. I should have asked precisely what he meant, but I was too worried about the two of you to even think to ask.”

“About the two of us?” Neal asked at the same time Bucky gave Steve a funny look and asked, “Who’s Loki?”

“Loki’s a teammate of mine,” Steve said, reaching his left hand up and gripping the side of Neal’s face. “Yes, the two of you. The only two people I love had been captured by HYDRA and injected with some kind of unknown compound. I was so worried that I don’t even remember getting you out of the warehouse.” Steve pressed another kiss to Neal’s mouth and returned his attentions to Neal’s chest. Neal looked flabbergasted, blown away, by what Steve had just said. 

Bucky nodded at him, smiling slightly, as he buried his hand in Steve’s hair. “He’s bad at communicating his feelings. Better at showing them. You should have seen him the first time you said you didn’t want to join us for dinner. That’s when I learned about your previous relationship and that Steve thought you now hated him. We talked for a long time, and I made him swear to talk to you. It took weeks, but you stayed for dinner, so he must have said the right thing.”

“I… I don’t remember,” Neal said, eyes wide. “I don’t remember what he said to me, but it worked. I remember him… telling me that we were over. Done.” Bucky’s mouth twisted down, and he turned to give Steve a very nasty look. Steve stilled in his methodical sucking of love bites down Neal’s sternum, some of them over the fading ones that Bucky had left a few days ago. 

“Let me guess, he walked out of your apartment, _this_ apartment, without saying anything else? Without letting you say anything?” Bucky was still frowning at Steve. Neal nodded. 

“ ‘We’re done, Neal. I’m with Bucky.’ That’s what he said.” Neal inhaled shakily, before continuing. “He was rather cold to me, after that. You were always friendly to me, even after the two of you started dating seriously.” 

“I thought so.” Bucky looked pensive. “He told me that he wasn’t sure what he said, but that it wasn’t his best, that he realized that he had left you with the wrong impression. Steve, what did you mean to say to Neal?” Bucky’s voice because stern as he ended the sentence. 

“That we needed to go back to being friends while I got my life figured out.” Steve settled between Neal’s legs, looking up at Neal with sincerity in his eyes. “I meant to tell you how much I valued your insights, your sense of humor, your art, the everything that makes you you. And I meant to tell you how it broke my heart to have to tell you that.” Steve’s voice wavered on the last line, and he buried his face in Neal’s stomach, hiding the tears that threatened to fall. Neal pressed his hand into Steve’s hair, fingers touching Bucky’s as they both comforted the man they loved. As like most things in their lives, the tender emotional scene did not last. 

“Now, I hate to be the one to break this emotional soul-baring, and God knows Stevie doesn’t talk about his feelings enough, but I not only left my inhibitions in a warehouse in Manhattan, but I also have this whatever-it-was injected in my veins. Howzabout we do something about that?” Neal choked out a laugh as Bucky smirked at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You did it! This is the last of the emotionally difficult chapters. There are three chapters and an epilogue still to be uploaded.


	35. Chapter 33: We can worry about the logistics later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Everything had worked out fine, but they all knew there would be nightmares for years to come. They’d get through it. Together."

They laughed as they sloppily made out, the tension in the room completely broken as they relaxed against each other. Neal let Bucky go to town on his chest, sucking a deep love bite almost exactly over his heart, before returning to Neal’s mouth and ravishing it. Steve smirked at them, before sliding fully between Neal’s spread legs and using his talented fingers to bring him back to full hardness. Neal groaned appreciatively as Bucky snuck his left hand down and joined Steve’s, before jumping slightly when Steve checked if he needed any more prepping before they got to whatever they had planned. Eyes closed, he made a questioning noise into Bucky’s mouth, the sound swallowed between their kisses. Bucky patted his hip soothingly and Steve did something with his fingers that caused him to white out in pleasure, back arching off the bed. Neal’s eyes snapped open, and he looked at Bucky, who wasn’t even trying to hide a grin.

“You like that?” Bucky asked, a slight tease in his voice. At Neal’s excited nod, Steve did it again, in perfect conjunction with Bucky, both rubbing his fingers against the sensitive head of his dick and deepening their kisses. Neal made a sound and Bucky pulled back a fraction. 

“If you keep doing that, this will be over far too quickly,” he cautioned, rolling his hips and grinding up against a muscular thigh, his expression blissful. “Who’s fucking who?” he asked after a moment. 

“Steve’s going to fuck you, and I’m going to fuck Steve,” Bucky punctuated his statement with a smirk and teasing stroke of Neal’s dick. Neal’s eyes rolled as his head lolled against the headboard in pleasure. “That sound good to you?” Neal nodded, his hands reaching out to grip both Steve and Bucky, his breath hitching in excitement. “Good. Let’s get a pillow under your hips to change your angle.”

With careful movements, Steve helped Bucky situate a pillow under Neal’s hips before he rolled a condom down his dick and pulled Neal’s legs over his shoulders, almost bending him in two as he sheathed himself in Neal’s tight heat. Neal’s back arched off the bed as he did, legs tense as he held them straight over Steve’s shoulders. They held the position and bend for what felt like forever, until Bucky checked Steve’s preparation, rolled a condom on, and slid inside Steve. They held themselves still for a few moments, until, with an almost collective exhale, Bucky thrust against Steve, forcing Steve farther into Neal, who moaned, head lolling back against the headboard. They kept that up, Bucky in charge of their speed, for as long as they needed. Bucky kept his hands roving all over Steve and Neal’s bodies, rubbing over nipples and other erogenous zones. Steve braced himself with one hand and cupped Neal’s face with his other hand, gazing tenderly as they moved together as one. It was was like that, gazing into each other’s eyes that Neal came with a soft gasp.

Steve thrust a few times, before coming as well. He placed an emotional kiss on Neal’s lips as Bucky came with a long, drawn out moan, collapsing against Steve’s back, clearly drained from what had happened over the course of the day. They lay like that for a few moments, catching their breath, before Steve slid out of Neal and managed to arrange Bucky on the bed against Neal, before removing their condoms and tying them off. He grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom and gently cleaned them all off, before sliding into the bed behind Neal and wrapping his arms around him. 

“Let’s a take short nap,” Bucky said, eyes closed as he snuggled against Neal, wrapping his arm around him. “And then you can pack a suitcase or two and we can go to Brooklyn? Get you situated in my apartment? We can worry about the logistics later. That work for you?”

Neal nodded against his shoulder, his eyes a little liquid. Steve squeezed him a little tighter, and they drifted off together, holding on tightly. 

A few hours later, Bucky woke them up and helped Neal pack two small suitcases that he then made Steve wrangle on the subway to Brooklyn. There, they collapsed on Bucky’s oversized bed and took turn holding each other. Everything had worked out fine, but they all knew there would be nightmares for years to come. They’d get through it. Together.


	36. Chapter 34: I want out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Bucky, and Neal are debriefed by SHIELD and the Avengers, Bucky learns the truth, and Neal panics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- This chapter covers what is going to happen to Bucky and Neal, since they both received the Serum; references human experimentation.  
> \- The end note contains spoilers for the chapter.

The next morning, Clint Barton showed up at the tattoo parlor to take them to Stark Tower, where they were to be debriefed on what had happened at the warehouse. Once at the Tower, they were taken straight up to the SHIELD floor and were met by a tall, striking, and dangerous brunette in a SHIELD uniform, who led them to the conference room. 

“You’re going to be debriefed as a team,” she said. “It’s usually easier, and allows you to remember things you might not have otherwise. All of the Avengers will be present, to ask questions and confirm your statements. We’ll have everyone introduce themselves once we get started.” She badged them into a conference room, where Tony Stark collected their phones as they sat down. 

Stark looked around the room before speaking, “The first thing you probably want to know is that Agents Burke, Barrigan, and Jones recaptured Matthew Keller. He was checked over by SHIELD, who found no evidence of him being HYDRA and turned him back over to the Russians. He was perfectly happy to talk to our agents, giving us as much information as he could about both Rumlow and Strucker.” Stark handed them back their phones, having done whatever he needed to do to make them secure. 

“Can everyone introduce themselves to Bucky and Neal before we get started with the debriefing?” Steve asked, looking around the room. Everyone nodded.

“Neal Caffrey.” Neal took a deep breath, steadying himself. “I own the bakery The Greatest Cake in Manhattan and I’m an alleged thief and art forger.” 

Stark gave him a very unimpressed look, before saying, “Alleged?”

“I was only ever convicted of bond forgery,” Neal said with just of a hint of his old confidence and charm. 

“James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky.” Bucky waved his left hand at the room, before continuing, “I own 107 Tattoos in Brooklyn.” He nodded slightly. 

“Colonel Nick Fury, Director of SHIELD.” Fury shook hands with Bucky, before turning to Neal and asking about the cake. “Moira brought up how much she liked that damned cake of yours again, and I need to make sure I’m actually getting her one before I tell her I am, or I am a fucking dead man.” 

“I put your commission into our system as soon as you ordered it, so it’ll be ready to pick up at the time you requested,” Neal said, eyes wide. He probably wasn’t expecting Fury to have been telling the truth about wanting to buy a cake for his wife’s birthday. 

“Maria Hill. I’m Director Fury’s second in command,” the tall, striking, and dangerous woman spoke. 

“Agent Sharon Carter. I’m Director Fury’s third in command.” Carter paused, then smiled. “It’s nice to see you again, Bucky, though I wish it were under better circumstances.” Her slight British accent was a bit more pronounced than usual.

“It’s nice to see you again too, ma’am,” Bucky said, before asking how she got recruited to SHIELD.

“My great-aunt was one of the founders,” she said. “When it came time for me to re-up with the British Army, I was actively recruited by SHIELD.”

“Tony Stark. You know who I am. How’s the arm?” Steve glared at Stark, but otherwise didn’t say anything.

“It’s good, I think,” Bucky said, stretching the arm in question. 

“Since you’re here, I wanna take some readings on it, give it a physical. As it were.” He smirked as if what he’d said was a dirty joke. 

Bucky nodded, seeming a little overwhelmed, but agreed to the checkup, sliding his left hand into the pocket of his hoodie. 

“Natasha Romanov, The Black Widow.” She smiled slightly. “I’m an infiltration specialist.”

“Clint Barton, Hawkeye.” He waved at them. “Sniper.”

“Thor Odinson. I’m the Avengers’ heavy hitter.” Thor smiled. “We are well met, my friends.” 

“Loki Odinson.” Loki did not look happy. “I’m a technology specialist, historian, and archivist.”

“Sam Wilson. I’m the team’s councillor and field medic. I’m a former PJ and I kept my Falcon call sign.” He looked intently at Bucky for a moment and then said, “Sergeant Barnes? You look a lot better since I last saw you!”

“Everyone seems to think so. I don’t think I ever got to thank you or Riley for the rescue.” Bucky reached out and shook Sam’s hand. 

“I’m just glad to see you again. We’ll need to catch up, after this debriefing?”

Bucky nodded, smiling slightly. It was difficult not to like Sam. 

Stark spoke again, this time with a thoughtfulness he rarely showed, “Steve?”

Steve turned to Bucky, his eyes bright as he nodded. “My name is Steve Rogers, and I was not born in 1976, but 1918. I am Captain America.” 

Bucky nodded. “I suspected, given the uniform and the whole HYDRA thing.” He turned to Neal, who was looking slightly guilty. “When did you learn?”

“The day Peter Burke came to the studio. It was a surprise to me, as well.” 

“Agent Carter returned your shield, Cap. It’s secure,” Stark said, standing and stepping behind the computer at the front of the room. He started typing at lightning speed, watching Steve closely. 

“That’s something I want to discuss, but not until after we’ve been debriefed,” Steve said. “May we begin?”

The actual debrief didn’t take long, with Bucky confirming what they’d known all along about Strucker, Rollins, and Rumlow. Thor confirmed that Strucker was dead from a combination of one of Hawkeye’s arrows and an “unfortunate collision with the device that had been restraining friends Barnes and Caffrey.” Rollins and Rumlow were in SHIELD custody, and were both singing like canaries about HYDRA’s plans in the United States. 

Neal showed Stark the sketches he’d done of the device that had been holding Bucky, and Stark asked to keep it in the system, so that they would know what to look for in the future. 

“Now, for a different topic…” Stark paused. “Drs. Banner, Simmons, and Ross have studied the what was in the IVs that the two of you were given. They said that the drugs were an incredibly strong sedative that works a bit like ketamine, saline mixed with super-concentrated solution of all the vitamins and minerals in a multivitamin, and something that two of them would only hazard a guess at identifying.”

“Was it...?” Steve asked, glancing at Bucky and Neal before returning his gaze to Stark. 

“It was.” Stark paused. “Dr. Banner is considered something of an expert at the Erskine Serum, and is the only person known to have recreated it. He positively identified the third IV as containing a variation of the Erskine serum he referred to as the Banner Variant of the Erskine Serum, which was stolen from my father when HYDRA murdered him and my mother.”

Neal looked faintly ill and Bucky looked conflicted. “Does that mean what I think it means?” Bucky asked, his left hand wrapping around Neal’s hands. Neal squeezed his hand tight enough to break a hand made of flesh and bone. 

“Yes and no.” Stark looked up from his notes. “The Serum, no matter the variant, has to be activated. Only in your blood, Mr. Barnes, does the serum show signs of having been properly activated. We’re going to want to run a lot of tests on the two of you, and Dr. Banner suggests that Mr. Caffrey stay away from Gamma Radiation, but we suspect that the worst is over when it comes to whatever’s going to happen to you.”

“Meaning that whatever would happen to whoever was given the Serum, the results would show immediately after the enserumization? Bucky asked, curious. 

“Within minutes of the activation, yes,” Stark confirmed. “Whatever changes were to have happened would have already happened before Steve even got in the room. You would have known before you got wherever you went.”

“My apartment in Manhattan,” Neal said with a soft voice, sounding younger than his years. “What’s going to happen to me, now? I have that… I have that in my blood.” Neal’s voice trailed off as his breathing sped up, taking on a ragged edge. His eyes were wide and his face pale with fear. Bucky rubbed soothing circles with his metal thumb, and Steve reached over to place his hand on Neal’s shoulder, grounding him. 

“Nothing. You’ll need to come back to the Tower for blood tests at least once a month for the foreseeable future to ensure the serum remains stable while inactive, but nothing is going to happen to you.” Fury’s voice was gentle. 

“I thought…” Neal trailed off, his eyes still wide in his pale face.

“We might not look it, but we’re one of the good guys.” Fury glanced at Stark, who was typing something on his tablet. 

“So I’m not going to be locked up and vivisected?” Neal asked. He sounded serious. Steve immediately leaned over as if to block Neal from Fury, and there was a stillness in the room that indicated that almost everyone had either drawn a weapon or was waiting to see if they needed to draw a weapon. Stark looked slightly ill, even as he did something to the copper-looking bracelet on his wrist. Bucky’s arm whirred slightly as he gripped Neal’s arm tightly.

“Absolutely not, Mr. Caffrey, Mr. Barnes.” Fury looked appalled that anyone would think that. “We will need to monitor the effect of the Serum and regularly draw blood for analysis, but that’s both for your own good _and_ the extent of what you’ll need to do. We would appreciate it if you were willing to to let us collect tissue samples and run some physical tests on the pair of you, but that’s not required.”

The room seemed to release the breath it had been holding collectively, as palmed weapons were resheathed. Loki made a show of flipping a dagger away, though Bucky didn’t catch to where he’d secreted it. He relaxed his grip on Neal’s arm, but made a mental note to keep Neal in his sight until they got back to Brooklyn.

“We’re going to keep your names on our list of consultants, but that’s it,” Agent Carter said. Bucky noticed how she seemed to relax a hair, though she was still standing with her back military-straight. She continued, “you would be our go-to experts on the enserumization process, especially since Mr. Caffrey was conscious for it.”

“That… that brings me to something I wanted to discuss,” Steve said. He looked around the room, then took a deep breath and said, “I want out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Neal panics when he learns what he and Bucky were both given, especially when he realizes that the serum in his blood _was not activated_. He immediately thinks the worst of SHIELD and fears losing his freedom (and possibly his life), but Fury quickly reassures him that his worst fears are not to come true. 
> 
> \- Nick Fury is married to none other than Moira McTaggert


	37. Chapter 35: the world I’ve built for myself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don’t want to be Captain America any longer. I like the world I’ve built for myself."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter; all that's left is the epilogue.

“I don’t want to be Captain America any longer. I like the world I’ve built for myself. The world with Bucky and Neal.” Steve reached over and put his arms around the two of them. “I’ve discussed things with Stark. I’m leaving the NYPD, as well.”

“Let’s discuss this while Caffrey and Barnes get their tests done,” Fury said, holding up a hand to forestall any disagreement. “Discuss how we’re going to go about keeping a fucking national icon alive, and what we need to do to get you out of his suit.”

“That’s… that was a lot easier than I was expecting…” Steve said, looking a bit like the wind had been blown out of his sails. 

“You wanted the fuck out before, I remember.” Fury looked at Hill, who collected Bucky and Neal. Stark grabbed Loki by the arm and they followed them out. After everyone retook their seats, he continued, “I remember convincing you that we still needed you, that your country still needed you, back when you wanted out. SHIELD needed you to help identify HYDRA agents, and Stark needed you, having just lost his parents to fucking HYDRA.” 

Steve nodded, agreeing. “Tony’s what made it easy to agree to stay.” He took a few deep breaths, seeming to consider something. 

“Everyone thinks Captain America died in 1945, going down with the _Valkyrie_ to destroy HYDRA, yes? That’s what the history books I’ve read say, anyway,” Steve continued with a wry grin. “This is the first time I’ve worn the suit since Howard pulled me out of the ice, and while I think a few people saw me wearing it, only HYDRA would know what it meant. No one who got a good look at me is going to be spilling any beans anytime soon, I’m thinking.”

“Where are you going with this?” Fury asked, seemingly confused. 

“Bring back Captain America, yes, but not Steve Rogers.” Steve looked at everyone, seeing Natasha’s slight smirk, the dawning understand on Sharon’s face, and the relief on Hawkeye’s face. Thor had his usual thoughtful expression on his face, which could mean just about anything. “Someone else takes up the mantle and shield. Perhaps more than one someone. But someone who stands by the principles of the uniform. Someone Dr. Erskine would have chosen, had he been able to.”

“Do you have a candidate in mind, Captain?” Natasha asked, her smirk evident in her voice. 

“My first choices are Sharon Carter and Sam Wilson.” Steve relaxed back in his chair, happy that his resignation had been accepted, more or less. “I’m more than willing to take the mantle and shield back up when I’m really needed, when my country really needs me, but until then, I want the life I made with Bucky and Neal. I want to be able to do what I want to do, not what I need to do for my country.”


	38. Epilogue: 1 year later

Neal officially moved in with Steve and Bucky to the apartment above 107 Tattoos and is one of the creators of some of the more complex tattoos designs. They turned one of the bedrooms into his private studio space, so that he could fully discover his own style, distinct from all of his “alleged” forgeries. He still owns The Greatest Cake and works the front counter, but has cut back on his work hours there considerably, spending more time in Brooklyn with Bucky and Steve; every employee at the bakery is an ex-con, like him, getting a second chance. He consults with the FBI on white collar crimes when Peter asks him. He goes to Stark Tower for monthly analysis and tests to monitor the serum in his blood; Doctor Banner says that, despite his initial worries about degradation, the serum appears to have remained completely stable. He let Bucky give him his first tattoo two months after The Warehouse, the word ‘breathe’ in Steve’s elegant cursive, a precise line of black along his 7th rib, just under his heart.

Steve left the NYPD less than a month after leaving SHIELD, though he still consults with the FBI and SHIELD when needed. He quickly rediscovered an old passion, falling back in love as he dabbled in art for the first time in years. He experimented with every medium he could, starting with the charcoal and graphite he remembered from his childhood and branching out into oils, pastels, and watercolors. He has yet to design any tattoos, though he wants to design a tattoo that will adorn both of his loves. He discovered the joys of woodworking, and occasionally “upcycles” things he finds left on the curb as garbage, including furniture and bicycles. He achieved his dream of owning a vintage motorcycle, and is the proud owner of a fully-restored, 1952 Vincent Black Lightning. He enjoys terrifying Neal by driving through New York traffic at top speed with him riding behind. 

Bucky is still the owner of 107 Tattoos, though he lets someone else handle the day to day running of the shop. He’s a liaison ambassador for Stark Industries’ prosthetics division, meeting with veterans groups and other interested parties. He regularly attends VA fundraisers and campaigns for veterans’ benefits. While he shows very few changes post-enserumization, he is noticeably stronger and heals significantly faster. Unlike Neal, he enjoys riding at top speed through New York City on the back of Steve’s bike. Neal says that this is why Bucky is no longer in charge of planning any of their dates - as fun as it was to make out while riding the Coney Island Cyclone, _he wants nothing to do with the motorcycle_. 

The Howlies continue to work at 107 Tattoos. Dernier put the finishing touches on his waterproof airbrush tattoo, and has applied for a patent. Monty and Dum Dum have both taken on apprentices, while Gabe and Morita teach part time at the school they went to. 

Agent Peter Burke is now the head of the FBI White Collar Crime Unit in New York City. He turned down a promotion that would have moved him to DC, which made his wife Elizabeth happy. Agents Barrigan and Jones still work for him at the Bureau, with Agent Barrigan in his former position as head of the White Collar Task Force. 

Nick Fury is still the director of SHIELD. His assistant keeps a swear jar on her desk, as he has started to attempt to “keep his fucking language professional around these stupid-ass motherfuckers.” It’s about as effective as expected. 

Tony Stark is still the mercurial head of Stark Industries R&D Department. His marriage to CEO Pepper Potts was the wedding of the season, if not century. It is not public that he is the pilot of the Iron Man suit. 

Sharon Carter took up the mantle and shield, becoming Captain America. She made her first appearance as Captain America during a minor scuffle with HYDRA in Ukraine. Her being British has led to some confusion, and her suggestion that Sam Wilson should take up the mantle and shield.


End file.
